<p>
<p>Washington D.C. – Congressman John Fleming, M.D. released the following statement responding to deceptive claims by Senator Durbin (D-Il) that the United States only has 2% of the world's oil reserves. This is on top of claims by President Obama and the Interior Department that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is at an all time high, an assertion refuted by his own administration's data.<br /><br />"Once again Democrats would rather deliberately mislead Americans on the state of our domestic oil reserves than solve our energy problems. It's time Americans were told the WHOLE truth about our domestic oil reserves. Yes – we have 2% of the world's 'proved' oil reserves but what Senator Durbin fails to mention is that the United States has 14% of the world's 'technically recoverable' oil reserves. The United States is still the world’s third-largest oil producer – second to Russia and Saudi Arabia. Only looking at the United States' 'proved' oil reserves ignores 83% of the oil we have in the United States," said Congressman Fleming.<br /><br />Congressman Fleming added, "This latest assertion by Senator Durbin is part of the Democrats' agenda to deflect criticism for surging gas prices and mislead Americans on the vast energy resources of the United States. Prices at the pump are a direct response to supply and demand. If we increase our energy supply, gas prices will fall. But the deliberate actions of democrats and the Obama administration to restrict our energy supply are causing gas prices to spike. Half truths and deliberate misrepresentations by President Obama and Democrats about our domestic energy production and reserves do nothing to lower gas prices and create REAL jobs in the United States and Americans can't afford it." <br /><br />For the latest videos from Washington, D.C. <a href="http://fleming.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=141781-13376839">Please Click Here</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 16px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Sincerely, <br /><br /><img src="http://fleming.house.gov/images/fleming-sig.png" border="0" /><br />JOHN FLEMING, M.D.<br />Member of Congress<br /><br /><em>Dr. John Fleming is Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a physician and small business owner and represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana.</em></p>
</p>