[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 7, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H1264-H1265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               GAS PRICES

  (Mr. CRAWFORD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, as of today, the price for a gallon of 
regular gasoline in my hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas, is $3.55. Just 
a year ago, that same gallon of regular gasoline would have cost $2.96. 
We've all heard the news reports that gas could hit a record of $5 a 
gallon this summer. The rising cost of gas not only affects my 
constituents at the pump, it will also drive up the cost of good and 
services.
  Congress can lower gas prices. We can require approval of the 
Keystone XL pipeline within 30 days. President Obama's rejection of the 
Keystone project will hit working families at the pump this summer. The 
American West is primed for oil shale development to provide oil and 
natural gas. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates we have the 
equivalent of more than 1.5 trillion barrels of oil in Colorado, Utah, 
and Wyoming. That's enough to provide the United States with energy for 
200 years.
  The Obama administration recently announced plans to restrict 
offshore drilling. After the BP oil spill, strict regulations were put 
in place to allow

[[Page H1265]]

for safe, responsible drilling. Now we need the Obama administration to 
lift the ban on drilling.
  We are blessed to live in a land with abundant natural resources. We 
need a Federal Government that will get out of the way so that we can 
develop those resources. Not only will these projects help American 
families meet our energy needs, they will also help create thousands of 
jobs in the process.

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