Monday September 26, 2011 - Rep. Shelley Moore Capito wants to expand oil and gas drilling off the United States' coasts and use some of the returns to help repair the country's roads and bridges.

Her office said the money from leases oil companies pay the government to drill offshore would amount to $435.5 billion over 30 years.

Capito, R-W.Va., said she thought the idea had support from leaders in the Republican-majority House and "we're going to work on the Democratic side."

The bill is consistent with Capito's desire to broaden as much possible the country's energy portfolio, she said, while also helping to shore up the dwindling road repair budget."I've been on an 'all of the above' energy plan, so let's tap these resources," she said in a telephone interview Friday.

Offshore drilling is currently prohibited in most places around the United States, though there are several exceptions. Environmentalists generally oppose the drilling, pointing to the danger of spills like that of April 2010 at a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Still, the notion isn't without bipartisan support. In March 2010, President Barack Obama said, "in the short term, as we transition to cleaner energy sources, we've still got to make some tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development."

But a move toward expanding drilling was put on hold and reversed three weeks later when the BP rig began belching oil into the gulf.source: www.dailymail.com