Washington Bureau

In Radio Address, Bush To Warn Congress Of Need To Act On Lifting Drilling Bans



WASHINGTON – President Bush says Democrats who control Congress will have some explaining to do over their Fourth of July break if they don’t take some action on allowing more offshore drilling for oil.

In an already-recorded radio address for Saturday, Bush says: "If congressional leaders leave for the 4th of July recess without taking action they will need to explain why $4-a-gallon gasoline is not enough incentive for them to act."

During a briefing with reporters today, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said he believes that as members of Congress go home and hear from constituents, they will rethink their opposition to lifting the ban in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and along the Outer Continental Shelf, along with a block on oil shale leasing and expand US refining capacity.
“Americans are increasingly concerned,” he said.

“I think if you'd asked Americans two, three or four years ago what their views were on drilling in certain areas, it probably wasn't as popular then either,” he added.

“It is now, because I think most Americans understand the common sense that if prices are rising rapidly and supply is short, and we are finding ourselves dependent on foreign and maybe unreliable sources of energy, then what we ought to be doing is trying to increase that output here at home -- especially if we know there are sources of oil and other forms of energy here,” said Fratto.

-- Billy House
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