Bush asked to call Congress back on energy issues

By Tom Doggett

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday became the first U.S. senator to formally ask President George W. Bush to call Congress back from its August recess to pass legislation that will help lower high oil and gasoline prices.

The Democratic-controlled Congress has been slammed from just about all sides for going on a five-week vacation without clearing a bill that would help solve America's ongoing energy problems.

"I urge you to call Congress back into session to use the August recess to legislate on energy in an effort to deal with the high cost of oil and gasoline at the pump," the Pennsylvania senator said in a letter to Bush.

The last time Congress was called into a special session was in July 1948, when Democratic President Harry Truman ordered back the Republican-controlled Congress to pass domestic legislation on expanding social security, public housing and civil rights.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in an interview with Reuters, again blasted the Republicans' oil drilling proposal. She referred to their speeches on the House floor this week, during the recess, as a fund-raising

gimmick.

Pelosi said Democratic legislation to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, already rejected by Bush, would bring price relief for consumers within 10 days, while expanding offshore oil drilling in protected areas would only knock two cents off the price of a gallon of gas after 10 years.

"It is a hoax on the American people to say that we can only drill offshore," Pelosi said.