Gas Prices

Floor Speech

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, as of today, the price for a gallon of regular gasoline in my hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas, is $3.55. Just a year ago, that same gallon of regular gasoline would have cost $2.96. We've all heard the news reports that gas could hit a record of $5 a gallon this summer. The rising cost of gas not only affects my constituents at the pump, it will also drive up the cost of good and services.

Congress can lower gas prices. We can require approval of the Keystone XL pipeline within 30 days. President Obama's rejection of the Keystone project will hit working families at the pump this summer. The American West is primed for oil shale development to provide oil and natural gas. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates we have the equivalent of more than 1.5 trillion barrels of oil in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. That's enough to provide the United States with energy for 200 years.

The Obama administration recently announced plans to restrict offshore drilling. After the BP oil spill, strict regulations were put in place to allow
for safe, responsible drilling. Now we need the Obama administration to lift the ban on drilling.

We are blessed to live in a land with abundant natural resources. We need a Federal Government that will get out of the way so that we can develop those resources. Not only will these projects help American families meet our energy needs, they will also help create thousands of jobs in the process.

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