[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 101 (Wednesday, June 18, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H5489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REPUBLICAN PLAN OF DRILLING IN ANWR IS NOT THE ANSWER TO HIGH GAS 
                                 PRICES

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, the American people are rightfully concerned 
about the high cost of gas, and they are looking for solutions that 
will provide some immediate relief. We don't need more of the stale 
rhetoric of the past 7 years that we have heard from the Bush 
administration and their so-called energy policy.
  President Bush and congressional Republicans continue to argue that 
opening one of America's treasures, the Arctic refuge, to oil drilling 
will lower gas prices. That's simply not true.
  Ask the experts. That is the conclusion of the Bush administration's 
own Energy Information Administration, which estimates that opening the 
Arctic refuge to drilling today will save only a few pennies a gallon 
20 years from now. Sadly, this is the Republican solution to addressing 
the high prices that they created.
  The American people are looking for action. That's exactly what this 
Democratic House has been doing over the past couple of months. 
Unfortunately, we need help from our friends across the aisle because 
President Bush remains committed to failed policies.

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