11-07-08 President George W. Bush called on Congress to allow drilling into strategic oil reserves in Alaska and offshore waters in an effort to ease record high oil prices.
Bush, citing "tough economic times" for American citizens, said the country needs to relieve "pressure on their pocketbooks" by drilling domestic crude oil reserves.

"Oil prices are up because demand is outstripping supply. One way to deal with supply problems is to increase supply here in America," said Bush.
Bush also said he met with economic advisors about tapping into the "vast potential of crude oil reserves on offshore lands, as well as in Alaska, as well as in oil shale in the western part of our country", while preserving the environment, one of the biggest concerns raised by lawmakers and conservation groups.

Within the past months, gasoline prices have soared to over $ 4 a gallon and are expected to rise during the busy summer travel season. Bush pressed leaders in Congress, particularly the Democratic Party, totake up the oil issue before leaving for taking a month-long recess in early August.
"They have a responsibility to explain to their constituents why we should not be drilling for more oil here in America to take the pressure off of gasoline prices," he said.

Democratic leaders in Congress have encouraged drilling domestic oil reserves but resist exploiting the much-sought-after Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge believes to contain up to millions of gallons of crude oil, and other environmentally sensitive areas, arguing that oil companies are sitting on at 88 mm acres of federally-owned, oil-rich land so as to keep the domestic oil supply lower and drive prices higher.