[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12746]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         DRILL NOTHING CONGRESS

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, the Drill Nothing Congress is still determined 
to drive the price of gasoline up by not allowing offshore drilling for 
crude oil and natural gas.
  Americans think we are held hostage by OPEC and dictator Chavez for 
our crude oil, but the real culprit is Congress. Congress holds the 
keys to freedom from OPEC and the little dictator, but will not unlock 
the big door to independence.
  Congress should lift the offshore drilling ban in the Gulf coast, the 
east coast and even the sacred west coast. Then let each State and its 
people decide whether or not to drill off their shores.
  Congress should let States receive a portion of the oil lease 
revenues oil companies pay Uncle Sam for the privilege to drill and 
States to use this additional revenue to fund education or whatever 
they wish.
  The Drill Nothing Congress seems to want gasoline prices to continue 
to rise to punish Americans for driving gasoline-powered vehicles. 
Congress is the problem. In the court of American public opinion, 
Congress is wrong for its hardheaded, absurd policy of don't drill in 
America. Meanwhile, gasoline continues to rise in price.
  And that's just the way it is.

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