By ANDY SOLTIS, Post Wire Services
Last updated: 7:18 am
July 3, 2008
Posted: 3:39 am
July 3, 2008
President Bush yesterday urged Americans to write their congressional representatives to allow drilling for oil in the United States.
"We can help alleviate shortages by drilling for oil and gas in our own country, something I've been advocating ever since I've been the president," Bush told reporters in Washington.
Bush is seeking drilling in more US waters and in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to increase oil supplies - which is currently banned by Congress.
"I've been reminding our people that we can do so in environmentally friendly ways," he said. "And yet the Congress, the Democratically controlled Congress, now has refused to budge. It makes no sense."
Americans "ought to be writing their Congress people about it," Bush said.
The president spoke at a Rose Garden press conference after Democrats on Capitol Hill called on him to raise the problem of soaring oil prices and energy-market speculation with other world leaders at the G8 summit in Japan next week.
"Yes, we'll be talking about energy" at the summit, Bush said, adding he would "tell them it's a tough period for American consumers."
But he said, "It took us a while to get into the energy situation we're in. It's going to take us a while to get out of it."
In his wide-ranging comments, Bush:
* Conceded it has been a "tough month" in Afghanistan but said the rising toll of US and NATO soldiers is partly because "our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy."
"It has also been a tough month for the Taliban," he said.
In June, terrorists killed more Western troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq for the second straight month.
* Tried to tamp down speculation that Israel will attack Iran's nuclear facilities before he leaves office. "I have made it very clear to all parties that the first option ought to be solve this problem diplomatically," Bush said.
* Said he would urge other summit nations to make good on earlier pledges to help alleviate malaria, HIV-AIDS and other deadly diseases.
