Politicians of all stripes have been getting worked up about gasoline prices since the price per gallon rose over $3.  There has been all sorts of maneuvering and name calling by elements of both political parties.  But besides the finger pointing it doesn’t really look like much of anything is going to change.  The vote in the House today shows how unserious our Congressmen are about energy security and prices harming the average American, from an AP story :

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite talk of an energy crisis and the need for independence from foreign oil, Congress seems to be in no mood to open more of the country’s coastal waters to energy development.

The House late Thursday rejected an attempt to end the quarter-century ban on oil and natural gas drilling that has been in effect for 85 percent of the country’s coastal waters from Alaska to New England despite arguments that new supplies are needed to lower energy costs.

Lawmakers from Florida and California, who led the fight to continue the drilling moratorium, said they feared energy projects as close as three miles from shore could jeopardize multibillion-dollar tourism industries in their states.

"People don’t go to visit the coasts of Florida or the coast of California to watch oil wells," Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., said.

The issue, which dominated debate on a $25.9 billion Interior Department spending bill, saw the sides split largely along geographic, not partisan lines. Republicans and Democrats from coastal states opposed lifting the drilling restrictions.

NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) still rules, unquestionably squashing all other concerns like national security, employment, and the strain caused to normal people by ever rising fuel prices.  Nothing, nothing at all, matters more to our leaders than appearances.  Remember this vote the next time any politician from a coastal state whines about the price of fuel or tries to blame it ALL on the big bad Oil Companies.