April 29 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush blamed Congress for blocking his initiatives to mitigate rising energy costs by expanding domestic production and said lawmakers also are delaying action on other measures to address higher food costs and the mortgage crisis.
``It's a tough time for our economy,'' Bush said at a news conference today at the White House. While the public is demanding action, ``on many of these issues, all they are getting is delay.''
Bush said lawmakers have been ``vocal'' in opposing measures to expand U.S. oil production, including exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
He dismissed calls by to stop oil purchases for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. A group of 14 Senate Republicans earlier today asked Bush to stop filling the reserve to ease price pressures, matching a similar request previously made by Democrats in the House.
Bush said ``it is in our national interest'' to get the reserve filled, and halting purchases wouldn't lower the cost of oil because it amounts to 0.10 percent of global demand.
``I have analyzed the issue and I don't think it would affect price,'' Bush said.
Gasoline Taxes
In the presidential campaign, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain propose a ``gas tax holiday'' by suspending the 18.4-cent per gallon federal gasoline tax and the 24.4-cent tax on diesel fuel. Democrat Barack Obama opposes a tax suspension, saying it will do little for consumers and divert money needed for highway and bridge repairs.
Bush said he would ``take a look'' at any proposals that may come from Congress. He said Congress would open more domestic land to oil exploration if it was ``truly interested'' in solving the problem of high gas prices.
Gasoline is averaging $3.60 a gallon nationally, up 66 cents from a year ago. Diesel, used by trucks that transport many goods to retailers, is at $4.24 a gallon, up from $2.92 last year, according to a survey by the American Automobile Association.
He declined to say whether the U.S. economy is in a recession.
``Economists can argue over the terminology,'' Bush said. ``The average person doesn't really care what we call it.''
Food Prices
On the rising cost of food, which Bush said is related to higher energy prices, the president said lawmakers also were partly at fault because they have failed to overhaul the ``massive, bloated'' farm bill. Now is the time for ``reducing unnecessary subsidies'' to wealthy farmers, he said.
``We are deeply concerned about food prices here at home,'' he said. This year, Bush said, the U.S. would be ``generous'' in food donations because of scarcities overseas.
He also called on lawmakers to act on his proposals to ease the housing crisis.
``Americans should not have to wait any longer for their elected officials to pass legislation to help more people stay in their homes,'' Bush said.
Home prices in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas fell in February by the most on record, pointing to an imbalance between supply and demand that shows no sign of ending.
Prices will probably keep sliding as foreclosures push even more properties onto the market just as stricter lending rules limit the number of qualified buyers. Shrinking home values have contributed to a slowdown in consumer spending that may already have tipped the economy into a recession.
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