[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0945
      DEMOCRATS TAKE ACTION ON RECORD HIGH GAS PRICES AT THE PUMP

  (Mr. YARMUTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, as the price of gasoline continues to hit 
record prices almost every week, congressional Democrats continue to 
pass legislation to help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil and 
lower prices at the pump. Unfortunately, the only solution President 
Bush and congressional Republicans come up with is more drilling. They 
ignore the fact that drilling in the U.S. has recently exploded. Since 
2000, the number of wells that have been drilled in this country has 
increased by about 66 percent, while the price at the pump for the 
consumer has more than doubled.
  President Bush and congressional Republicans also continue to push 
drilling in the Arctic Refuge. Again, they ignore experts who say that 
opening the refuge for drilling would produce only about 6-months' 
worth of oil and it wouldn't be available for another 10 years. How is 
that a strategy for lower prices today?
  Mr. Speaker, House Democrats know that American families are feeling 
squeezed every time they head to the gas station. That is why we 
continue to pass legislation that should help ease the pain at the 
pump. It would be nice if the President would support these efforts.

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