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




                BIG OIL DOESN'T NEED MORE LAND TO DRILL

  (Mr. YARMUTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, while gas prices continue to soar, 
Democrats are looking for real solutions to give Americans relief at 
the pump. We aren't repeating the same rhetoric day after day about 
opening up our pristine lands and waters to drilling only to save 
pennies per gallon in 20 years. Instead, we've offered energy solutions 
for today and for the future.
  We pressured the President to stop sending more oil to the Strategic 
Petroleum Reserve, which could save about 25 cents per gallon at the 
pump. We also passed legislation cracking down on price gouging. And 
now we're calling on President Bush to begin releasing oil from the 
Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
  After 7 years of the Bush-Cheney energy policy, written by and for an 
oil industry raking in record profits, a plan to transition America to 
a new and more affordable energy future is long overdue. The American 
people are suffering now and are looking for solutions today. 
Republicans say we need to open more land for drilling, but the average 
American family will spend $57,800 on gas before that drilling saves 
them a penny.
  Mr. Speaker, House Republicans need to stop looking to the past for 
solutions to today's problems.

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