[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 97 (Thursday, June 12, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H5332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H5332]]
 WHY SHOULD WE OPEN LAND FOR DRILLING WHEN BIG OIL ISN'T EVEN DRILLING 
                         WHERE THEY HAVE LEASES

  (Mr. WU asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, it is no wonder that the only Republican 
solution to our record high gas prices is more drilling. Who would 
expect anything less when two former oil executives occupy the White 
House?
  The problem is that this has been the Republican energy plan for the 
last 7 years. It was created in secret by Vice President Cheney and oil 
executives. And it is responsible for the record high oil prices that 
we all face at the pump today.
  Republicans claim that we could lower the price at the pump if we 
would only approve more and more drilling leases. That is their 
rhetoric. Here are the facts. Oil companies do not need new areas to 
drill. They need to focus on areas that are already opened to them. Of 
the 42 million acres of Federal land currently leased by oil and gas 
companies, only about 12 million acres are actually being drilled to 
produce oil and natural gas.
  Madam Speaker, if the Republican claims about more drilling are 
correct, why aren't they demanding Big Oil explore drilling on the 30 
million acres of Federal land that are already open to them but that 
they refuse to explore?

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