New York - US President George W Bush is to propose ending a federal ban on offshore oil drilling, the New York Times reported Wednesday. The move reflects the growing political impact of the relentless rise in oil prices, and aligns Bush with Republican nominee Senator John McCain who proposed similar action on Monday.
The paper quoted White House press secretary Dana Perino saying Bush would urge Congress to "pass legislation lifting the Congressional ban on safe, environmentally friendly offshore oil drilling."
"The president believes Congress shouldn't waste any more time," she said.
The paper quoted federal Energy Information Administration estimates that some 16 billion barrels of oil is covered by the offshore moratorium in force since 1982.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed the new proposal, saying it "sounds like another page from the administration's energy policy that was literally written by the oil industry: give away more public resources to the very same oil companies."
