By renewing each year a Congressional moratorium on new drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Congress had protected for more than 25 years our sensitive coastal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and eastern Gulf of Mexico from offshore oil and gas exploration and development. That moratorium expired in 2008, and the Bush Administration issued a new five-year plan to govern leasing and development in these areas. When President Obama took office in 2009, Secretary Salazar issued a "time out" on new drilling and suspended the Bush OCS program to allow the new administration to evaluate future options for offshore energy development.

On September 23, during consideration of the FY 2010 Interior-Environment appropriations bill, Senator David Vitter (R-LA) offered a motion to recommit the bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee with instructions that it be reported back immediately with an amendment that would bar the use of funds in the bill to delay the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Senator Vitter was attempting to end the suspension imposed by the Obama administration and have the Bush drilling plan reinstated. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced a motion to table the Vitter amendment, which prevailed by a vote of 56-42 (Senate roll call vote 293). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE.