Coalition of 60 Groups – Support American Energy Freedom Day: As you know, the Congressional bans on offshore drilling and oil shale production expire at the stroke of midnight on Oct.1, which would increase American energy production far more than the compromise you have suggested. Rather than saddling American energy producers and consumers with billions of dollars in higher taxes, a wiser solution is to allow these bans on American energy production to expire as scheduled – and to oppose any effort to sneak an extension of these bans into any last-minute spending bills.

Washington Independent – Pelosi’s Drilling Vote Designed to Fail?: But environmentalists need not weep just yet. Pelosi also emphasized that she plans to load the Democrats’ energy bill with a number of party priorities that have failed to pass the House this year… Environmentalists are holding out hope that the drilling saga will play out differently. They hope Pelosi’s change of position is, indeed, simply a political play intended to fail. Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, issued a statement Saturday in response to Pelosi’s radio address, maintaining that the debate itself will be enough to kill the drilling expansion.

Politico – Republicans Oppose Tax Increases, Supporting Energy Freedom Day: In the Senate, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has already rejected any measure to expand oil and gas drilling if it’s linked to a tax increase, which would include any repeal of tax breaks for the industry to pay for tax incentives to boost alternative energy use. Thirty-eight Republicans have backed him up by signing a letter to McConnell and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), promising to fight any legislation that would extend the federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas exploration that expires Oct. 1.

National Taxpayer’s Union – Let’s Drill Our Way to Lower Taxes: …[S]ensible drilling could yield nearly $2 trillion in overall revenue over 30 years, or an average of about $65.5 billion per year. Meanwhile, the “cost” in lost tax collections of protecting 22 million families from the AMT this year stands at about $62 billion… While oil and gas development won’t fill government’s coffers overnight, it will provide a down payment in the near-term, and big windfalls in the out-years that can help deal with some of the most intractable tax problems we face.

Americans for Tax Reform - Senators, Congressman Should Sign Letter to Protect American Energy Freedom Day: Much focus has been on drilling and the expiration of the moratorium on Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) drilling that is set to expire on October 1st, 2008. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) have been circulating a petition to their colleagues urging them to let this ban expire; dubbing October 1st “American Energy Independence Day.” Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform are urging Members of Congress to sign on to the petition.