Senate will agree to drilling -- but will the House budge?

8.3 million acres right off the Florida coast will no longer be protected from drilling once the Senate passes a measure today.  The Senate is expected to back a bill that would continue the line of thinking that we can drill our way out of high gas prices.  Yesterday the Senate voted 72 to 23 to abruptly cut off debate on the measure.

Last week Harry Reid warned everyone that this bill was a trick:

"This bill is not going to fix America's energy needs and it's not going to solve America's energy crisis," Reid said. "This bill will do nothing to bring down gasoline or diesel prices."

Granted the Senate version is better than the House bill, which would have allowed oil companies to drill as close as 50 miles from the Florida shore.  But this is not a long-term solution.  Want to know a real long-term solution?  Try Steny Hoyer's bill for example.

Once the Senate bill passes, the House and Senate will have to work out a compromise.  Harry Reid and fellow Democrats have promised to filibuster the House's version.
----------------------------------------------------
Other blogs writing about this issue: FLA Politics.