Bush to lift ban on offshore drilling

President Bush will lift the executive order that bans drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Monday afternoon, the White House said.

In an effort to put pressure on Congress, Bush is revising his position from last month. At the time, he called on the legislative branch to lift its part of the ban, saying he wanted the White House and Capitol Hill to work in concert to end the ban and expand domestic oil and gas production.

{mosads}White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters Monday morning that, because Congress has failed to act, the president is moving first.

“The ball is squarely in their court now,” Perino said.

With gas prices exceeding $4 a gallon nationally, the White House and congressional Republicans have increased pressure on Democrats to expand drilling in both the OCS and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska.

Perino acknowledged that the president's lifting of the ban will not produce any immediate relief for consumers at the pump because of the myriad details that need to be worked out, including what role coastal states would play.

However, she said that, if Congress does move to join the president, the potential for new oil exploration could lower market prices.

“The sooner they act, the faster we can send a signal to the market that we’re serious,” Perino said.