Beto O'Rourke calls on Congress to halt offshore drilling

[TexasTowelie]

Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke called on Congress on Wednesday to put a stop to oil drilling off the US coasts.

The former congressman from Texas is asking members of Congress to pass South Carolina Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham's Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act, which would place a moratorium on offshore drilling and prohibit the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from offering any new tracts for oil and gas leasing or preleasing off the California, Oregon and Washington state coastline and the Atlantic Coast.

Offshore drilling is a key political issue in South Carolina, an early voting state. A number of 2020 Democratic candidates have staked out their opposition to it as they try to make headway in the state. O'Rourke, who has made five trips to South Carolina since announcing his candidacy, has previously stated his opposition, including at last week's CNN climate town hall.

Cunningham represents the coastal 1st Congressional District in the Palmetto State and his opposition to offshore drilling was a major factor in the 2018 election, when he flipped a seat that had been held by a Republican since 1981.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/11/politics/beto-orourke-congress-offshore-drilling/index.html

[still_one]

1. and how will that resonate in Texas, where oil is a large part of their economy?

[dalton99a]

3. Most of the oil comes from oil wells on land e.g. West Texas

DAILY oil production on land (June 2019): 3,174,204 barrels
ANNUAL oil production offshore (2018): 129,485 barrels

[liskddksil]

4. Beto does what is right even if not politically popular

We don't follow polls. We change the polls.

[still_one]

7. You cannot accomplish anything unless you get in first

[essadaw]

8. He LEADS and polls seem to follow

The gun buyback is polling rather well now despite all of the hysteria when Beto strongly came out in favor of it.

[liskddksil]

9. Yep! Stop worrying and start leading. That should be our moto! nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. How does he square his current positions with his votes in as late as 2015?

I like Beto. I sent him money when he ran against fat Dracula. But I feel there are stronger voice for the environment on our side.

Beto O’Rourke’s Vote To Lift The Oil Export Ban Looms Over His Climate Record


https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beto-orourke-climate-oil-industry_n_5cae5377e4b0308735d48c31

In 2015, current Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke twice bucked his own party to vote with Republicans to end the 40-year restriction on selling U.S. oil overseas.

In October that year, O’Rourke voted on a bill to outright lift the ban. But the legislation stalled in the Senate. In December, he voted to approve an amendment to a budget bill that ultimately passed in the Senate.


The export proposal, which the League of Conservation Voters called “anti-environment,” helped flood global markets with U.S. oil just as fossil fuel emissions rapidly warmed the planet and threatened catastrophe within a generation. It’s also a mark against O’Rourke, whose record on climate change is facing new scrutiny as his presidential campaign heats up.

At the time, O’Rourke called the export ban “outdated policy” and said lifting it “means that America can compete with other oil-producing nations” and make allies “less dependent on energy from other volatile areas in the world.”

[NYMinute]

2. Beto has been making some courageous moves lately.

Bravo!!

[blm]

6. Consistently

[blm]

5. 👍🏼