(Washington, DC) Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) took the House Floor today, and made the following statement, calling for immediate action to lower gas prices:

“Americans want us to do something about gas prices, and every Member in this House wants us to do something about gas prices, too. The Republicans have one strategy, bring relief at the pump about 20 years from now, a couple of pennies a gallon.  Democrats have a different approach.

“We want to free America’s oil. We can release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). We now have 700 million barrels of oil in the SPR. We can release oil from this reserve and drive the price down in the market.

“We can force the gas companies, the energy companies-- as we have tried to do already-- to drill on the 68 million acres worth of leases they already control to produce oil.

“Finally, we can open up the 23 million acres in the Alaskan National Petroleum Reserve where there are proven oil reserves, and they are eligible for drilling right now. We have the tools at our disposal immediately to drive down gas prices. 

“Free America's oil.”