VIDEO

Mr. Speaker, as the price of gasoline continues to hit record highs almost every week, Congressional Democrats continue to pass legislation that will help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower prices at the pump. 

Unfortunately, the only solution President Bush and Congressional Republicans can come up with is more oil drilling.  They ignore the fact that drilling here in the U.S. has recently exploded.  Since 2000, the number of wells that have been drilled has climbed about 66 percent, while the price at the pump for the consumer has more than doubled. 

President Bush and Congressional Republicans also continue to tout drilling in the Arctic Refuge, but again, they ignore experts who say that opening the Arctic for drilling would only produce about six months of oil and it wouldn't be available for another 10 years.  How is that a strategy for lowering 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 some of these efforts.