Pelosi blocks vote on Bush request to lift ban on offshore oil drilling

WASHINGTON – A plan to lift the ban on coastal drilling is stalled on Capitol Hill, for one simple reason: A Californian who opposes President Bush's proposal is calling the shots in the House of Representatives.

Despite growing public support for ending the ban, even in California, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said she won't allow the immediate vote the president wants.

"I have no plans to do so," Pelosi said last week.

It's an example of the vast power placed in the office of the speaker, who sets the agenda for the entire 435-member House. Members can force a vote if enough of them sign a petition, but that's a rarity because it requires rank-and-file Democrats to line up against their boss.

In this case, Pelosi is going against a rising tide of public opinion. Faced with rapidly increasing gasoline prices, 73 percent of Americans now favor offshore drilling, according to a poll conducted by CNN/Opinion Research Corp.

Support is even growing in California, where a majority of residents have long opposed additional drilling off the coast. A new Field Poll survey last week found that 51 percent still favor the ban, down slightly from the 56 percent who backed it in 2005.

Pelosi made her remarks in a wide-ranging interview with CNN, in which she grabbed headlines for saying Bush was "a total failure" who had lost credibility with Americans on his handling of the war, economy and energy issues. She said Congress has been forced "to sweep up after his mess over and over and over again."

Pelosi's Democratic colleagues in California are happy that the president's drilling plan is going nowhere, at least for now.

Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui of Sacramento, a drilling opponent, said Pelosi "has shown tremendous leadership" on the issue.

"When Americans go to the pump and are faced with gas prices well over $4 a gallon, it may be tempting to believe that lifting the ban on offshore drilling would bring immediate relief," Matsui said Friday. But she said Congress "cannot make rash decisions that will leave a legacy of irresponsible energy policy for our children and grandchildren to inherit."

Democratic Rep. Lois Capps of Santa Barbara, a longtime opponent of drilling, said she "greatly appreciates" Pelosi's position.

"It's absolutely critical to have a Californian who understands that new drilling has no place off our coasts in a position of power in the House of Representatives," she said. "President Bush and congressional Republicans would have the American people believe that after 7½ years of a 'drill only' approach to meeting our energy needs the solution to record high energy prices is yet more drilling in the economically and environmentally valuable areas off our coasts."

Pelosi and other Californians have long cited the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara as the main reason for their opposition to drilling. The president's plan has drawn opposition from other top leaders in California: Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer, who heads the Senate Environment Committee, and Dianne Feinstein.

"Californians have learned the hard way how much damage – environmental and economic – can be caused by a major oil spill," Feinstein said.

But Pelosi may be hard-pressed to stand firm against lifting the moratorium. She's under heavy pressure from House Republicans, who have been unrelenting in their political attacks against the speaker, blaming her for the record gasoline prices.

On Friday, House Republican leader John Boehner called on Pelosi to stop "ignoring the calls of the American people."

He said he would lead a delegation of 10 House Republicans —- including Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy —- on an "American energy tour" to Colorado and Alaska this weekend to put a spotlight on the refusal of Democratic leaders to allow drilling in Alaska and elsewhere.

The congressional ban on offshore drilling has been in effect since 1981, but Congress must renew it each year. The issue could come to a head again in September, when Pelosi could make it tougher for opponents to kill the ban by including it in an omnibus spending bill that may be required to keep the government operating.

Acknowledging her ability to influence decision-making, Pelosi said in the interview that she gets to operate differently than her Senate counterpart, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Reid must reach out to Republicans to muster 60 votes – enough to stop a filibuster – to get anything done.

"In the House, the power rests in the speaker, the power of recognition, of setting the agenda. ... Very different rules," Pelosi said.

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• Call Rob Hotakainen, McClatchy Washington Bureau, (202) 383-0009.