Information about the vote from special interest groups and other information providers in our Report Cards:
League of Conservation Voters
Public Lands & Public Resources - Gulf Drilling.
In early 2001, the Bush administration appeared poised to move forward with a controversial oil and gas leasing program off the east coast of the Gulf of Mexico, known as Lease Sale 181. Environmentalists contended that the routine pollution associated with offshore drilling—not to mention the threat of a deep-water oil spill—could do irreparable damage to Florida’s unique and fragile coastline, the vacation and recreation destination for millions of Americans.
After the House voted overwhelmingly to prohibit oil and gas leasing off Florida's coast, the Interior Department proposed canceling a large part of Lease Sale 181 while still allowing some new leases in the eastern Gulf that may encroach on sensitive shorelines. The plan would offer new oil and gas leases in a 1.47-million-acre area in the eastern Gulf of Mexico—scaled back from the 6-million-acre area originally proposed. During consideration of H.R. 2217, the Fiscal Year 2002 Interior Appropriations bill, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) offered an amendment—identical to the House-approved amendment—that would have prevented any part of Lease Sale 181 from going forward. Acting on a motion by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), the Senate, voted to table (or kill) the Nelson amendment.
The House-approved amendment was later stripped from the Energy and Water appropriations bill in conference. The House and Senate approved the conference report on November 1, and President Bush signed it on November 12. Thus the President's compromise plan, which allows some drilling in the eastern Gulf, will go forward.
American Conservative Union
Allow Limited Oil and Gas Development.
Landrieu (D-LA) motion to permit oil and gas development in certain areas in the Gulf of Mexico. The motion was agreed to.U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Federal Prison Industries Reform.
Federal Prison Industries (FPI) is a government-owned corporation that provides worker training for federal inmates. FPI benefits from a government procurement process that forces agencies to purchase products produced by prisoners through FPI, rather than using a competitive process. The U.S. Chamber, which manages a unique coalition made up of businesses and organized labor, is fighting to achieve legislative and regulatory relief from FPI's unfair competitive practices. Law-abiding businesses continually have proven they can provide federal agencies with higher quality goods, in a more timely fashion, and for a lower price.
In particular, the U.S. Chamber has strongly supported provisions in the annual Defense Authorization bill that would allow private sector firms to compete with FPI for Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. In 2001, the 2002 National Defense Authorization Act, contained a provision to level the playing field for private sector businesses. The provision directs DoD - if it determines that FPI product are not the best available - to purchase the products on a competitive basis. During consideration of S. 1438, the Senate rejected an amendment that would have eliminated the FPI reform provision. The reform provision remained in the final version of the legislation that was signed into law by President Bush. This is a significant first step in the U.S. Chamber's fight to end FPI's monopolistic status in government contracting.
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Environmental Preservation/Oppose Drilling off Florida Coast.
The Florida coastline dominates the geography of the eastern Gulf and is the vacation and recreation destination for millions of Americans. Unfortunately, offshore oil and gas drilling threatens the precious coastline with routine pollution and increases the risk of a damaging deepwater oil spill. In order to protect the eastern Gulf of Mexico from harmful drilling, Sen. Nelson (D-FL) offered an amendment during consideration of H.R. 2217, the Fiscal Year 2002 Interior Appropriations bill, to delay new leasing off of Florida's coastline. The Senate voted to table (kill) the Nelson amendment.
Republican Liberty Caucus (Economic Liberty)
Interior Appro./Oil and Gas.
To table an amendment to prohibit a final lease an area of the Gulf of Mexico.