Congress Girds for Fight Over Ban on Oil Exports
Congress girds for fight over ban on oil exports
Proponents of lifting a decades-old ban on U.S. crude oil exports are working to shore up support in Congress, ahead of expected votes in both chambers this fall.
The powerful oil industry sees momentum in the push for one of its top priorities, following a committee vote in the Senate to end the restrictions and an announcement of support from Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) just before Congress
departed for its August recess.
“In both sides and both chambers, we’re seeing very positive movement,” said Erik Milito, upstream manager at the American Petroleum Institute (API)
“There’s a lot on the calendar in both chambers as well, so we’ve got to exercise a degree of patience as well,” he said. “But this is an issue that should really be a no-brainer, because we’ve got a policy in place that is stifling economic growth, and it’s restricting our ability to help our allies.”
Opponents of crude exports, including environmentalists and some petroleum refiners, meanwhile, are stepping up their efforts to show lawmakers that opening the country’s oil market to the world could increase gasoline prices for American consumers and harm the environment.
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[]Environmentalists may also become more vocal on oil exports as the votes near.
They argue that lifting the ban could cause more demand for oil, along with the climate change and environmental impacts that burning oil brings.
“For Sierra Club and some other groups, it’s gotten to be a big issue, because they are nervous both from a climate angle ... and you could see more pressure to drill in areas that are currently off-limits,” said Athan Manuel, a lobbyist with the Sierra Club.
Working with the United Steelworkers, a union that represents refinery workers, the Sierra Club has been pushing publicly and on Capitol Hill the message that the oil industry does not need exports.
“This is going to be a big fight, an important fight for environmentalists to get engaged in, and I think you’re going to see more actions from many environmental groups when Congress gets back,” Manuel said.
The Center for American Progress released a report in August attempting to quantify some of the environmental impacts of lifting export restrictions. It found that, at the very least, it would cause an increase in domestic oil drilling.
“Congress is heading into a debate without having a good understanding of the implications of a major policy change in the U.S. energy world,” said Matt Lee-Ashley, a senior fellow at the think tank.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/252487-congress-girds-for-fight-over-ban-on-oil-exports