No Bill, But Gang of 20 Will Continue
Posted September 19, 2008 at 10:57 am 
Filed in: The Gang of 20 will not introduce their comprehensive energy legislation before the election. In doing so, they are bowing to unfortunate but very real political realities. However, they are today publicly laying out their principles for future legislation, and have pledged to continue to work together to introduce and pass a bill next year.
The introduction and evolution of the Gang of 20 over the last two months represented an important moment for the debate over energy security. At the beginning of this year, it would have been unthinkable for Democrats and Republicans to come together to put forward a proposal that included the long-term goal of a transportation system that no longer is dependent on petroleum, along with the interim measures of increased domestic production of oil and natural gas and significant support for technology improvements. The truth is that the Gang of 10 forced Democrats, including Barak Obama, to move on the issue of offshore production and recruit Republicans who are willing to go beyond ‘Drill Baby, Drill’ and take the next step after fuel economy. Though it is unfortunate that the Gang was unable to reach a point where their bill was viable in this election year, that does not diminish the importance of what they have done—or the potential they represent in the future.
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