The two bills cover multiple energy topics such as nuclear, coal-to-liquid, alternative energy as well as calling for the opening of the 10-02 Coastal Plain area of ANWR to oil and gas exploration. 

Both bills represent the current trend in Congress towards an all encompassing, or “all of the above” attempt to solve our energy problems.  No one source of energy, nor any group of energies, such as those clustered in the “alternative energy” group are recognized to be able to solve or provide for all our energy needs.  The two bills make the 5th and 6th bills on the books of the House to include provisions for ANWR.  There are also two bills pending in the Senate, S.503  and S.570,  that call for opening up the 10-02 Area.  Due to the views of the majority leaders in both bodies, Mr. Reid (NV) in the Senate and Mrs. Pelosi in the House, it is likely that Natural Resource and Energy Committee chairmen will be pressured to “bury” the bills and prevent them from passing out of committee and to the floor for debate and vote.  Senator Reid and Rep. Pelosi (CA) are strongly opposed to any legislation allowing oil production in America.  Both new bills have been assigned to the Natural Resources Committee of the House for discussion.  H.R. 2300 has already garnered 45 co-sponsors, whilst H.R. 2250 does not have any co-sponsors. 

Last year a total of 19 bills calling for the opening of ANWR were submitted by members of Congress, more than any other energy issue discussed by Congress.  Only one of those bills as an amendment was voted upon in the Senate.  The rest all died in committee due to pressure from the House and Senate majority leadership to not allow the bills to floor for debate.

You can access the texts of both bills and view their co-sponsors through the Library of Congress’s Thomas web site.  Type in the bill’s code in the search window.

http://thomas.loc.gov/