    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [June 21, 2008]
    [Pages 859-860]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 21, 2008

        Good morning. Americans are concerned about the high price of
    gasoline. Everyone who commutes to work, purchases food, ships a
    product, or takes a family vacation feels the burden of higher prices at
    the pump. And families across our country are looking to Washington for
    a response.
        The fundamental problem behind high gas prices is that the supply of
    oil has not kept up with the rising demand across the world. One obvious
    solution is for America to increase our domestic oil production. So my
    administration has repeatedly called on Congress to open access to new
    oil exploration here in the United States. Unfortunately, Democrats on
    Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal. Now Americans are
    paying the price at the pump for this obstruction. So this week, I asked
    Democratic congressional leaders to take the side of working families
    and small businesses and farmers and ranchers and move forward with four
    steps to expand American oil and gasoline production.
        First, we should expand American oil production by increasing access
    to the Outer Continental Shelf, or OCS. Experts believe that the OCS
    could produce enough oil to match America's current production for
    almost 10 years. The problem is that Congress has restricted access to
    key parts of the OCS since the early 1980s. So I've called on the House
    and Senate to lift this legislative ban and give States the option of
    opening up OCS resources off their shores, while protecting the
    environment. There's also an executive prohibition on exploration in the
    OCS, which I will lift when Congress lifts the legislative ban.
        Second, we should expand American oil production by tapping into the
    extraordinary potential of oil shale. Oil shale is a type of rock that
    can produce oil when exposed to heat and other processes. One major
    deposit in the Rocky Mountain West alone would equal current annual oil
    imports for more than 100 years. Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress
    are standing in the way of further development. In last year's omnibus
    spending bill, Democratic leaders inserted a provision blocking oil
    shale leasing on Federal lands. That provision can be taken out as
    easily as it was slipped in, and Congress should do so immediately.

    [[Page 860]]

        Third, we should expand American oil production by permitting
    exploration in northern Alaska. Scientists have developed innovative
    techniques to reach this oil with virtually no impact on the land or
    local wildlife. With a drilling footprint that covers just a tiny
    fraction of this vast terrain, America could produce an estimated 10
    billion barrels of oil. That is roughly the equivalent of two decades of
    imported oil from Saudi Arabia. I urge Members of Congress to allow this
    remote region to bring enormous benefits to the American people.
        Finally, we need to expand and enhance our refining capacity. It has
    been 30 years since a new refinery was built in our Nation, and lawsuits
    and redtape have made it extremely costly to expand or modify existing
    refineries. The result is that America now imports millions of barrels
    of fully refined gasoline from abroad. This imposes needless costs on
    American families and drivers. It deprives American workers of good
    jobs, and it needs to change.
        I know Democratic leaders have opposed some of these policies in the
    past. Now that their opposition has helped drive gas prices to record
    levels, I ask them to reconsider their positions. If congressional
    leaders leave for the Fourth of July recess without taking action, they
    will need to explain why four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline is not enough
    incentive for them to act.
        This is a difficult time for many American families. Rising gasoline
    prices and economic uncertainty can affect everything from what food
    parents put on the table to where they can go on vacation. With the four
    steps I've laid out, Congress now has a clear path to begin easing the
    strain high gas prices put on your family's pocketbook. These proposals
    will take years to have their full impact, so I urge Congress to take
    action as soon as possible. Together, we can meet the energy challenges
    we face and keep our economy the strongest, most vibrant, and most
    hopeful in the world.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:40 a.m. on June 20 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 21. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 20, but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.