Time For Oil Executive Order?

With oil prices surging into record territory again and prices at the pump rising just as quickly, President Bush needs to get additional Alaskan oil drilling underway as soon as possible.

Here we are again at the mercy of the Saudis and even Russians who are perfectly pleased with 55-60 dollar per barrel oil.

We could have started on this several years ago but Democrats blocked it. Chances are better in Congress now, but why wait? Aren't oil supplies an issue of vital national security?

Why not an executive order to get this effort underway ASAP? We can't afford to screw around any longer, can we?


(Drudge)


COLOMBUS, Ohio, March 9 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush called Wednesday for development of US oil reserves in Alaska, including within the bounds of a wildlife refuge, to contend with the US undersupply of petroleum.

"To produce more energy at home, we need to open up new areas to environmentally responsible exploration for oil and natural gas, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," Bush said, as he made a speech here.

"The Department of Interior estimates that we could recover more than 10 billion barrels of oil from a small corner of ANWR that was reserved specifically for energy development."

The amount of oil Bush said could be accessed would be equivalent to that currently obtained "from 41 (US) states combined."