White House attacks GOP oil lease bill, but no veto threat

The White House is criticizing a GOP-led bill that would mandate a major expansion of offshore oil-and-gas leasing in the 2012-2017 period, alleging it would erode federal officials' discretion to determine which areas can be developed safely.

The bill is expected to pass the House Wednesday or Thursday.

A formal “statement of administration policy” — issued Tuesday — follows earlier White House criticism of other offshore drilling bills that House Republicans are moving this month.

“The Administration opposes H.R. 1231, which would undermine and circumvent the transparent public process for determining which new areas are appropriate to lease,” the White House said in the new statement, referring to the bill number.

The GOP plan would mandate the sale of drilling leases in areas including the Atlantic Coast and off southern California, and more widely in Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast. Click here for more on the bill.

The White House, in March of 2010, proposed oil-and-gas leasing in some areas off the mid-Atlantic and southeast coast, and in more Arctic waters, as part of the next 2012-2017 plan.

But the administration backed off the proposal last December in the wake of the BP oil spill.

The White House statement on the GOP bill before the House says that it clips regulators’ discretion and ability to pursue safe development. It states:

"H.R. 1231 would require the Department of the Interior (DOI) to open new areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to leasing without any discretion to determine which areas are actually appropriate and safe for exploration and development. The bill would have the effect of mandating OCS lease sales along the entire East Coast, offshore California, and elsewhere, without providing states and local citizens the opportunity to share views about where exploration should happen."

The White House statement does not threaten a veto of the bill. But it’s highly unlikely to ever reach President Obama’s desk due to major Senate hurdles.

The White House similarly attacked two other GOP drilling bills earlier this month without threatening vetoes.

Here’s the rest of the White House statement:

"The Administration is developing a 5-year (2012-2017) comprehensive plan for offshore oil and gas exploration and production that incorporates lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This plan, developed through a public review process, will assess which areas of the OCS are appropriate for future oil and gas leasing. In addition, the Administration is focusing on resources that are already available for development under existing plans. A recent DOI report shows that about 70 percent of leased offshore acres are not being explored or developed. Given the untapped potential of those areas, the Administration is pursuing a number of policies to promote timely and responsible development of those OCS leases."