[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 16, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        OFFSHORE OIL EXPLORATION

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, until this week, there were two prohibitions 
on offshore drilling, two prohibitions from keeping us from accessing 
billions of barrels of American oil. One was imposed by Congress; 
another by executive order in 1990. But now President Bush has lifted 
the executive ban.
  Standing in the Rose Garden he said, ``The only thing now standing 
between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from 
the U.S. Congress. Now the ball is squarely in Congress' court.''
  There can be no mistake. Congress must answer to the American people 
why we are not allowing the production of American-made energy right 
here at home, why Congress prefers the money to be sent to dictators 
and unsavory regimes around the world.
  Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership in this House should 
bring legislation to the floor to vote on opening the deep waters off 
our coast to allow us to access billions of barrels of American-made 
energy immediately. Otherwise, the price of gasoline and home heating 
oil will continue to rise.

                          ____________________