Pelosi Save The Planet

In a July 2008 interview with the blog Politico, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated the following: "I’m trying to save the planet; I will not have this debate trivialized by their excuse for their failed policy."¹ The statement was made in reference to Republican efforts to lift the 1982 moratorium on offshore oil drilling on the outer continental shelf, as well as Pelosi's resistance to such efforts.

Fast Facts

1. Interview published July 29, 2008
2. Oil reached record of $147 a barrel on July 11, 2008²
3. In 1982, Congress prohibited the leasing of areas on the outer continental shelf for drilling³
4. Republican congress members have pushed for a vote on lifting the ban⁴
5. Democratic leadership has used Congressional rules to bar a vote¹

Context and Impact

Pelosi's reference to "their failed policy" concerned a Republican energy policy focused on oil drilling rather than alternative energy sources.¹ The quote was seized upon by conservative critics, who charged that Democrats were unfairly blocking a vote on lifting the ban on drilling.⁵

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