Pelosi: Congress 'can have' drilling vote

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House "can have a vote on" offshore oil drilling if the proposal is part of a comprehensive energy package.

House Democrats have resisted scheduling a vote on allowing oil exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf, while Republicans -- including President George W. Bush -- have pushed for it. In an appearance Monday on CNN's "Larry King Live," Pelosi, D-Calif. -- who has derided the drilling proposal as a "hoax" -- said she would be open to a vote, The Hill reported.

"They have this thing that says drill offshore in the protected areas," she said. "We can do that. We can have a vote on that."

However, Pelosi said a vote on offshore oil drilling would have to be part of a package that included releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, among other things.

"But it has to be part of something that says we want to bring immediate relief to the public and is not just a hoax on them," she said.

Republicans warned last week they might take steps to shut down the U.S. government if House Democrats do not permit a vote on lifting a federal moratorium on oil exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf.