President George W. Bush wants Congress to lift a ban on offshore oil drilling. He says this will help lower the price of gasoline. The President says among other places, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska—known as ANWR—should also be opened to oil companies. Illinois lawmakers, however, disagree.
Both of Illinois’ U.S. Senators, Barack Obama and Dick Durbin, oppose Bush’s plan, and say ANWR should not be disturbed. Offshore drilling in the U.S. has been banned for 27 years. Durbin says the country needs to focus on developing alternative fuel sources.
DURBIN: Our energy policy is not going to be solved by drilling. We have 3 percent of the known oil reserves in the world, we consume 25 percent of the oil.
Durbin says new drilling wouldn’t have much of an impact on the cost of gasoline anyway. He says oil drilled in Alaska or offshore would take decades to reach the market.
Unfiltered: Interview with Dick Durbin