Obama moratorium is further embedded, news bypassed by Reuters headline

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The bigger news about the so-called 'oil spill reform bill', is that it keeps Obama's unrelated drilling moratorium going for at least several months. No mention of the legal process that initially overturned his order. Now that the 'spill' has apparently 'disappeared,' time was short. There are reports saying the whole thing might have been a lack of correct fire procedures, possibly by federal employees.

• 7/30, "House approves oil spill reform bill," Reuters, Doggett and Cowan

"Passing the bill as the House leaves for its six-week recess gives lawmakers the opportunity to return home boasting they reined in Big Oil and held BP responsible for the worst offshore oil disaster in U.S. history.

• The vote was 209-193 on the bill supported by President Barack Obama.

But first, Gulf Coast Democrats won an amendment ending the federal moratorium on deepwater drilling for oil

• companies that met new safety requirements.

The Obama administration's moratorium would end

• in November.

By the time the full Congress completes action on this offshore drilling bill --

• and it is uncertain that it will --

it could be November or later.

• A similar offshore drilling bill is pending in the Senate, without the House's new provision to end the drilling moratorium. But it was

unlikely that measure would pass before that chamber begins its summer recess on August 6."...