Enviro: Bush/McCain drilling plan a 'gimmick' for big oil RAW STORY

Published: Monday July 14, 2008





Print This Email This In another push to deal with soaring gas prices, President Bush on Monday will lift an executive ban on offshore drilling that his stood since his father was president. But the move, by itself, will do nothing unless Congress acts as well. The president plans to officially lift the ban and explain his actions in a Rose Garden statement, White House press secretary Dana Perino said. Environmentalists slammed the move. Friends of the Earth Action President Brent Blackwelder responded with the following statement:



President Bush and John McCain should be trying to end Americas addiction to oil, but instead theyre pushing this gimmick that wont do anything to lower the cost of gas. Its time to stop playing politics and start finding solutions. If John McCain and George W. Bush were serious about addressing this crisis, they would work to create alternatives to driving and make cars and trucks more efficientnot push a land grab for the oil companies. There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and another by executive order signed by former President Bush in 1990. The current president, trying to ease market tensions and boost supply, called last month for Congress to lift its prohibition before he did so himself. But Perino said Bush no longer wants to wait. She pinned blame on the leaders of the Democratic Congress for inaction. "They haven't even held a single hearing," Perino said. "So we are going to move forward, and hopefully that will spur action by the Congress." Asked if Bush's action alone will lead to more oil drilling, Perino said, "In terms of allowing more exploration to go forward? No, it does not." The president, in his final months of office, has responded to record gas-prices with a series of proposals, including more oil exploration. None would have immediate impact on prices at the pump, according to White House officials, who say there is no quick fix. But starting action now would help, they say. With wire reports