Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
07/18/2008
Pelosi: House Republicans Take Allegiance to Bush Energy Policies to New Latitude this Weekend
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on House Republicans’ planned trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska this weekend:
“This weekend, House Republican leaders will take their allegiance to the President’s failed policies to a new latitude. They will follow him all the way to the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alaska instead of touring the 68 million acres of onshore and offshore lands that oil companies have already leased, but have not developed.
“Yesterday, House Democrats demonstrated our strong support for responsible drilling to increase our energy supply and our energy independence, including in already-designated lands in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Unfortunately, 162 Republicans voted against our legislation, the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act, preventing passage from the House.
"Opening new lands to drilling won't save Americans one penny for at least a decade, but there is an immediate way to impact gas prices. The President has ignored calls for nearly two weeks now to free our oil by releasing a small amount of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which would increase supply quickly and increase our economic security.
“The President’s ‘drill only’ approach to energy has led us to record gas prices. The New Direction Congress will continue to fight for a greener, more affordable and less oil-dependent future that will expand our economy and make us more secure.”