Senate ‘Gang’ Pushes for Drilling As the House passed legislation late Tuesday designed to loosen restrictions on offshore oil production, some Senate Republicans were pushing for more drilling as part of a bipartisan energy plan. “We’re trying to be more aggressive on drilling,” said South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham , an original member of the group, which has grown to 20 senators, 10 from each party. The group, originally convened by North Dakota Democrat Kent Conrad and Georgia Republican Saxby Chambliss , had sketched out a plan to let Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas opt into drilling off their shores as part of a broader package including an estimated $84 billion in investments in conservation and efficiency, offset by cutting tax breaks to oil and gas companies....