The Price Of Gas

Floor Speech

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I think the American people are not aware of is that on September 30, the moratorium on drilling for oil offshore on the continental shelf will expire. And when that expires, this Congress will have to vote once again to extend that moratorium.

Now most Americans are saying, well, what in the world does that have to do with me? The cost of gasoline is now over $4 per gallon. People that go to fill up their gas tank are spending $70 to $80 or even more dollars per tankful to get their car filled up to go to and from work and to run their kids to school. If we are allowed to drill off the continental shelf, it's my belief, and the belief of most of the Members of this body, that the price per barrel of oil will begin to drop precipitously, and that translates into lower prices at the gas pump for gasoline, which will be a benefit for every person in this country that drives a car. But in addition, it will have a positive impact on the purchase of goods and services around this country. Food, clothing and everything else is transported by truck.

And tonight, what I would do if I were talking to the American people, I would ask them to contact every Senator and Congressman in both Chambers, and if I were talking to them, I would ask them to tell their Congressman and Senators to eliminate that moratorium. The minute that moratorium is removed, we will be able to drill for oil and gasoline off the continental shelf. Right now, we're prohibited from doing that. And as a result, the price of gasoline, oil and gas products continue to go through the roof.

It's time that we move toward energy independence, Mr. Speaker. And the American people, if you talked to any of them at the parades that took place over the Fourth of July, or any other meetings that take place, the town meetings, they're all telling us, do something about the price of gasoline. Do something about the price of energy. Make us energy independent. Drill in America. Drill anywhere. But lower the price of energy and make us energy independent.

We have the ability within the next 60 days to remove the moratorium on drilling offshore on the continental shelf. We can do that. All we have to do is not pass a bill that extends that moratorium.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the American people are clamoring for that. They want the cost of gasoline to go down. They want the cost of energy to go down. They want us to be energy independent. Every place we go, they're saying drill here, drill there, drill anywhere, but lower the price of energy and get us to energy independence. We have the opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to do that within the next 60 days.

And so, once again, Mr. Speaker, I know I can't talk to the American people. But if I were talking to the American people, I would say, call your Congressman, call your Senator, and tell them to not extend the moratorium on drilling offshore on the continental shelf. Because if they do that, Mr. Speaker, then the price of gasoline and energy will go down, and we will move rapidly toward energy independence. And that is what everybody wants.

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