[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 23, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7042-H7043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE PRICE OF GAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  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

[[Page H7043]]

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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