Liberal Dems fight Melancon plan to lift deepwater drilling ban

Liberal House Democrats are scrambling to block Rep. Charlie Melancon’s (D-La.) amendment to oil-spill legislation that would lift the Obama administration’s six-month ban on deepwater oil and gas drilling.

“Hopefully we can defeat it. That is part of what we are doing right now — whipping votes on the bill and to defeat that amendment. We will see how it goes,” Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) told The Hill on Friday. “I am concerned that Republicans will en bloc vote for [the amendment] and all we need is about 30 or 40 of our guys to go the other way and we have got a problem.”

The vote looms Friday, along with votes on the underlying Democratic spill bill that toughens federal oversight and safety requirements, and lifts industry liability limits, among many other provisions.

“I think it will be very close,” said Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), another liberal Democrat fighting Melancon’s plan. “We are working hard to defeat that amendment.”

Passage of Melancon’s amendment would be a slap at the White House, which says the drilling pause is needed while new safety standards are fully implemented and investigations into the BP spill progress.

But Republicans and many pro-drilling Democrats – especially from the Gulf Coast – call the ban too broad and say it is badly harming the Gulf region’s oil-tethered economy.

Melancon’s amendment that would allow drilling to proceed on rigs that are meeting recently issued Interior Department safety requirements and have completed safety inspections.