Pelosi Statement on Bush Call for End to Ban on Offshore Oil Drilling

Press Release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in reaction to the President's comments at the White House urging Congress to end a federal ban on offshore oil drilling and open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration:

"Oil companies are sitting on 68 million acres of public lands they have already leased, but President Bush and Senator McCain want to award them with even more.

"Americans are suffering under the Bush-Cheney-McCain policies that were written by Big Oil: $4 a gallon gasoline; $134 per barrel oil; increased reliance on foreign sources of energy and on hydrocarbons that contribute to climate change.

"Americans use one quarter of the world's oil consumption every day and we possess less than 2 percent of the world's supply. We cannot drill our way to energy independence.

"Our nation must move toward a new, cleaner, and more affordable energy future that focuses on renewable and increased energy efficiency. The New Direction Congress has already passed innovative energy legislation and will continue to develop other proposals to address high energy costs and shift our nation to a more energy efficient economy.

"We look forward to having a President in the White House whose energy policy can no longer be described as ‘drill and veto.'"

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