[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 122 (Thursday, July 24, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H7063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     LIFT THE AMERICAN OIL EMBARGO

  (Mr. CARTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. CARTER. Madam Speaker, today we vote on a bill to draw down the 
Strategic Petroleum Reserve by 70 million barrels of oil. The U.S. 
consumes 21 to 23 million barrels of oil a day. So this is just over 3 
days' supply.
  The good news is that our Democrat colleagues have finally started to 
realize that supply is the problem. Seventy million barrels may help 
slightly the pain at the pump, but so would the billions of barrels of 
oil in ANWR, offshore, and in shale oil.
  Increasing American energy supply is not an ideological issue like 
traditional marriage or abortion. It's a simple issue of do you support 
the American people or radical environmental groups.
  Sixty-seven percent of the American people want safe, environmentally 
sound drilling for oil. This is what the American people want. This is 
what they should have. The only obstacle seems to be Speaker Pelosi and 
the Democrat Congress.
  Americans are counting on Congress to work together and lift the 
American oil embargo. Americans stand ready to work with the Democrats, 
as do the Republicans.

                          ____________________