[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13333-13334]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           AMERICANS SPEAK UP

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, Americans are speaking 
up about rising gas prices.
  The polls show that well over 60 to 70 percent of Americans support 
exploration of American oil and natural gas reserves, and we are seeing 
a vocal outpouring of disappointment in Washington's refusal to take 
action.
  For example, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has put a 
petition on his Web site asking Americans to send a message to 
Washington that we need to ``Drill Here, Drill Now, and Pay Less.'' As 
of today, the petition has over 1.1 million signatures. Surely this is 
only a snapshot of the millions more in America who are feeling the 
pinch from rising energy prices. That is the bad news.
  The good news is that House Republicans have a plan to reduce our 
dependence on foreign oil, invest in a future of renewable, cleaner 
energy resources, and ask the American people to participate through 
conservation. We have a plan, and the American people have the will to 
put that plan into action if House Democrats stop standing in the way.

[[Page 13334]]

  In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget 
September the 11th.

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