[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 BIG OIL DOESN'T NEED MORE LAND TO DRILL; THEY SHOULD USE IT OR LOSE IT

  (Ms. SHEA-PORTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, gas prices are hovering around $4 a 
gallon now. Americans are having difficulty just finding the money to 
drive to the store. The energy policies of the Bush administration over 
the past 7 years have helped only one group, Big Oil. They're doing 
just fine, thank you very much.
  House Democrats are moving America in a new direction towards energy 
independence. We raised the miles-per-gallon requirement for the first 
time in over 30 years. We are putting money into research and 
development. We're requiring energy-efficient appliances, and we are 
creating green jobs, among other things.
  We're also demanding that oil companies drill now. They have 68 
million acres of land that they could drill on. They have their 
permits. They need to get to work now. Last month, House Republicans 
could have joined us in sending a strong message to oil companies that 
they need to start drilling on already approved lands. But instead, 
House Republicans once again sided with both Big Oil and President 
Bush.
  Mr. Speaker, the oil companies need to use those permits or lose 
those permits. America wants oil companies to get to work now and stop 
playing politics.

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