[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15017-15018]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RELEASE OIL FROM THE STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF 
                              AT THE PUMP

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, we've heard on both sides today arguments 
about the energy crisis. The fact is these arguments are why Congress 
is held in such low esteem. There are just a couple of things that can 
be done immediately to help people with the price at the pump, and the 
major thing that can be done is releasing oil from the Strategic 
Petroleum Reserve. That's been a proven success with President Bush I, 
President Clinton, and even this President Bush, and yet he refuses.
  Why does he refuse? Because it would hurt the profits of the oil 
companies. And who gave us this President and this Vice President? The 
oil companies. This is government of the oil companies, by the oil 
companies, and for the oil companies. And the people of my district are 
tired of paying this high price.
  Twenty years drilling, you might as well think about your child being 
born today and planning to see them have a car that gets 80 miles to 
the gallon in 20 years because that's when the oil that might be pumped 
today in the Outer Shelf would come to be. Immediate relief is 
releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
  Mr. President, I urge you to have compassion for the Americans who 
can't afford this price of oil.

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