Gene Green, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ron Paul Vote Against Oil Industry

House passes bill to aid refineries
Senate foes of the measure threaten to block it with filibusters
By DAVID IVANOVICH
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - A bill designed to jump-start construction of new refineries squeaked through the House on Friday by the narrowest of margins.

By a vote of 212-210, the Republican-controlled House approved a bill that proponents say will help broaden the nation's refining capacity and eventually ease pressure on gasoline prices.

But the measure passed only after what was supposed to be a five-minute vote was extended by 40 minutes, to grant former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and other GOP leaders time to persuade enough reluctant Northeast Republicans to support the legislation.

The Republicans' delaying tactics as they scrambled for votes were met with chants of "shame, shame, shame" from House Democrats.

No Democrats voted for the bill, while 13 Republicans crossed party lines to oppose it.

Acting Majority Leader Roy Blunt, R-Mo., conceded after the vote that Republicans shouldn't have tried to push the legislation through so quickly.

"Even a bill designed to cut gas prices probably needed more time," Blunt said.

The bill's troubles in the House do not bode well for its prospects in the Senate, where opponents have already threatened filibusters.

Known as the Gasoline for America's Security, or GAS Act, the bill intends to coordinate the permitting process for new refineries, compensate oil companies for delays in refinery construction projects and make price gouging a federal offense.

"We use 21 million barrels of oil a day, and only have the refining capacity for 16 million on a good day," House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Ennis, said during the debate. "And after Katrina and Rita, we haven't had many good days."

Indeed, about 12 percent of the nation's refining capacity remains shut down because of the storms.

President Bush hailed the vote, saying the bill would "help address the cost of gasoline, diesel fuels and jet fuels."

Democrats argued the bill does nothing to help consumers and cast the legislation as a give-away to the energy companies.

Michigan's John Dingell, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, called the bill "a poorly thought out and poorly vetted effort to pass Republican and industry wish lists."

Democrats got support from Northeast Republicans such as Rep. Sherwood Boehlert of New York, who distributed a letter to his colleagues before the vote arguing the bill would burden taxpayers, interfere with state's prerogatives and give undue aid to oil companies.

Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, whose district includes many of the refineries along the Houston Ship Channel, initially was one of three Democrats who voted for the bill.

But as the vote erupted into an emotional, partisan showdown, all three switched their votes. Green said he didn't want to be the "Lone Ranger" among Democrats backing the bill. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, argued refiners need tax incentives to add capacity, but not relief from environmental regulations.

All Houston-area Republicans supported the bill except for Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, who walked off the floor without voting. Paul's spokesman Jeff Deist said his boss had mixed feelings about the bill but was particularly dismayed by the partisan nature of the vote.

The bill attempts to streamline the permitting process for new refineries as well as for significant expansions of existing facilities.

The bill would require the president to identify sites on federal land — including three closed military installations — that could be used for new refineries.

The Energy Department would be the lead federal agency for finding new sites for plants, although state governors would have the power to either encourage construction or veto projects.

Boy Gene Green showed his backbone-"didn't want to be the 'Lone Ranger' among Democrats"-There are the words of a man of principle. What a coward! We in Houston need better congresmen than these. We need people of vision and courage. We need Conservative Republicans to represent us. The Democrat claims that this bill did nothing for the average citizen is a lie. There is only one means of permanently lowing the price of gasoline, and building new capacity is it.

Full Story: Gene Green Betrays Houston

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