Oct 04, 2005 11:55
Bush calls for new refineries, cuts to meet hurricane spending bill
Oct 04 11:17 AM US/Eastern
President George W. Bush called for the United States to build new refineries after hurricanes Katrina and Rita battered US oil production.
Bush, speaking at a White House news conference, also renewed appeals for Congress to cut spending in other areas to help meet the reconstruction bill arising from the powerful storms.
"The storms that hit the Gulf Coast also touched every American with higher prices at the gas (petrol) pump," the president said.
"It ought to be clear to everybody that this country needs to build more refining capacity to be able to deal with the issues of tight supply," he said.
"We haven't built a new refinery since the 1970s so I look forward to working with Congress to pass a reasonable law that allowed current refineries to expand and to encourage the construction of new refineries."
Bush added that Washington has "a vital role" to play in the reconstruction of areas left battered by the hurricanes over the past month.
"I've also made it clear we do it in a fiscally responsible way. Congress needs to pay for as much of the hurricane relief as possible by cutting spending," he said, calling for "real cuts" in non-security spending.
"I'll work with members of Congress to identify offsets, to free up money from the construction efforts. I ask them to make even deeper reductions in the mandatory spending programs that are already planned," Bush said.
"The heart of America is big enough to be generous and responsible at the same time."
Of course our president has no interest whatsoever in the oil industry... He just seems to think it more important to spend money building new refineries than he does rebuilding destroyed homes and cities.