Bush Presses Congress On Oil Drilling

WASHINGTON — President Bush planned to make a renewed push yesterday to get Congress to end a long-standing ban on offshore oil and gas drilling, echoing a call by the Republican presidential candidate, John McCain.Congressional Democrats have opposed lifting the prohibitions on energy development on nearly all federal Outer Continental Shelf waters for more than a quarter-century, including waters along both the East and West coasts.With oil prices soaring and motorists paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, political pressures have been growing for more domestic oil and gas production.“The president believes Congress shouldn’t waste any more time,” the White House press secretary, Dana Perino, told the Associated Press on Tuesday.“He will explicitly call on Congress to … pass legislation lifting the congressional ban on safe, environmentally friendly offshore oil drilling,” Ms. Perino said. “He wants to work with states to determine where offshore drilling should occur.”Mr. Bush also will reiterate his call for development of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, Ms. Perino said. Mr. McCain has opposed drilling in the refuge, maintaining that the pristine areas in northeastern Alaska should be protected from energy development.On Monday, Mr. McCain made lifting the federal ban on offshore oil and gas development a key part of his energy plan. The Arizona senator said states should be allowed to pursue energy exploration in waters near their coasts and receive some of the royalty revenue.Mr. Bush has made clear in recent weeks that the drilling moratorium in coastal waters should end to allow for more domestic oil production and help “take the pressure off the price of gasoline.”Democrats, as well as some Republican senators from coastal states, have opposed lifting the drilling prohibitions, fearful that energy development could harm tourism and raise the risk of oil spills on beaches.[The Associated Press reported yesterday that President Bush is sending the Energy secretary, Samuel Bodman, to Saudi Arabia for a one-day meeting of oil producers.Mr. Bodman is leading an American delegation to the meeting on Sunday in the port city of Jiddah in Saudia Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer. Saudi Arabia has called the meeting of oil producing countries and consumers to discuss ways of dealing with soaring energy prices and preventing further increases.Also yesterday, congress enacted a massive $290 billion farm bill for a second time after a clerical error in the first bill threatened delivery of American food aid abroad.]

Bush Presses Congress On Oil Drilling

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