Pelosi: House won't validate Bush policy

WASHINGTON, July 24 (UPI) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday rejected White House pressure on energy legislation, saying President Bush just wants his failed policies validated.

During her weekly conference call, Pelosi instead pushed for adoption of legislation freeing up the strategic oil reserve to push down gasoline prices and nixed expanded offshore oil drilling until oil companies use their already existing leases on some 68 million acres.

"I will not subscribe to a poor excuse for an energy policy that the administration is putting forth. The administration has failed in its energy policy," Pelosi said. "That's why we have $4 a gallon at the pump. The administration has failed in its economic policy. And now it wants to say but for drilling in protected areas offshore, our economy would be thriving and the price at the pump would be lower, when even the president himself has disassociated himself and has said there is no short-term fix and even drilling in these protected areas is not bringing it down."

Pelosi said she agrees with oilman T. Boone Pickens that we cannot drill our way out of the current supply-and-demand situation. She said more attention needs to be paid to alternative energy, including solar power.