White House Says It Has Drilling Plan

Though the House is set to vote today on two bills that aim to increase offshore oil production, the White House says it already has a plan to do just that.

In an official statement of administration policy, the White House said that it opposes the two bills, authored by House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), on the grounds that neither allow voters to have a say over where new drilling takes place.

Hastings’ bills, H.R. 1229 and H.R. 1231, would require the Interior Department to lease new areas off the Atlantic, Pacific and Alaskan coasts, and would require the agency to approve drilling permits within a 60-day window.

According to the statement, the White House has its own five-year plan to expand domestic drilling and to force oil companies to begin tapping areas they’ve already leased.