House tables proposal on Gulf oil, gas drilling

WASHINGTON – Apparently short of votes, House Republicans on Tuesday abruptly scrapped plans to consider opening a huge swath of the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling.

The bill is scheduled to come up for another vote today, either alone or as part of a package of tax breaks.

But Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., who helped craft the legislation, warned that time was running out and said the Senate won’t touch the bill if the House tinkers with it.

“Anytime you have to work within a time frame, it’s a concern,” Martinez said.

Republicans needed a two-thirds vote to pass the measure without any amendments. Environmentalists hailed the canceled vote as a sign that there wasn’t enough support to pass the legislation.

“Let’s hope this is the end of Congress’ fling with Big Oil and that we can make a fresh start to achieving true energy security with the new year and the new Congress,” said Athan Manuel of the Sierra Club.

But others predicted passage of the bill this week.

“I’d be stunned and grossly disappointed” if sponsors can’t pull together a majority vote to pass the bill, said Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., who has championed efforts to open the coastline to drilling.

The measure, which the Senate passed last summer, would open 8.3 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to drilling, which supporters say should increase a much-needed supply of natural gas.