WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday lifted an almost 2-decade-old executive order that banned oil and natural gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, hoping to encourage Congress to end its own drilling ban.
"Now the ball is squarely in Congress' court," Bush toldreporters. "The time for action is now."
The executive drilling ban was issued in 1990 by the firstPresident Bush, and then extended by President Bill Clinton.Congressional Democratic leaders oppose ending the drillingban, saying oil companies already have 68 million acres undergovernment leases they can drill and any new oil fromnow-closed offshore areas would not be available for five to 10years.
(Reporting by Tom Doggett)
