    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [July 12, 2008]
    [Pages 1010-1011]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    July 12, 2008

        Good morning. This week, Members of Congress returned to Washington
    after their Fourth of July recess. While they were at home, they heard a
    clear message from their constituents: Americans are concerned about
    high gas prices. Everyone who commutes to work, grows food, books a
    plane ticket, or runs a small business feels the squeeze of rising
    energy prices. And Americans are increasingly frustrated with Congress's
    failure to take action.
        One of the factors driving up high gas prices is that many of our
    oil deposits here in the United States have been put off-limits for
    exploration and production. Past efforts to meet the demand for oil by
    expanding domestic resources have been repeatedly rejected by Democrats
    in Congress.
        This week, however, we are seeing signs that the recent rise in
    gasoline prices has caused some to rethink their long-held opposition to
    opening up more areas for domestic production. If this change of heart
    is real, we can work together on four steps that will expand American
    oil and gas production and eventually relieve the pressure of rising
    prices.
        First, we should expand American oil production by increasing access
    to offshore exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf or OCS. Experts
    believe that the OCS--that is currently off-limits--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. Since that time, technological advances have
    allowed us to explore oil offshore in ways that protect the environment.
        Last month, I called on the House and the Senate to lift this
    legislative ban, so we can allow States to have the option of opening up
    OCS resources off their coasts. I also offered to lift an executive
    restriction on this exploration if Congress did so. Unfortunately,
    Congress has failed to act. Time is running out before Congress leaves
    for its summer recess. For the sake of our economy and American
    consumers, Congress must move quickly to expand exploration of the OCS,
    so we can tap into these vast oil resources as soon as possible.
        Second, we should expand 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 or other processes. One major
    deposit in the Rocky Mountain West alone could, if fully recovered,
    equal more than a century's worth of imports at current levels. Last
    year, however, Democratic leaders inserted a provision blocking oil
    shale leasing on Federal lands into an omnibus spending bill. That
    provision can be taken out as easily as it was slipped in, and Congress
    should do so immediately.
        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

    [[Page 1011]]

    drivers, it deprives American workers of good jobs, and it is now time
    for Congress to change it.
        It's time for Members of Congress to address the pain that high gas
    prices are causing our citizens. Every extra dollar that American
    families spend because of high gas prices is one less dollar they can
    use to put food on the table or send a child to college. The American
    people deserve better, so I urge Congress to come together with my
    administration now to ensure that our economy remains the strongest,
    most vibrant, and most hopeful in the world.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:10 a.m. on July 11 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on July 12. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    July 11, but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.