June 21 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said lifting the ban on U.S. offshore oil and gas drilling might eventually help reduce gasoline prices, and Congress should be held accountable if it doesn't take action.

``If Congressional leaders leave for the Fourth of July recess without taking action, they will need to explain why $4- a-gallon gasoline is not enough incentive for them to act,'' Bush said in his weekly radio address. ``Congress now has a clear path to begin easing the strain high gas prices put on your family's pocketbook.''

Bush this week called on Congress to lift the 27-year-old moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling, putting himself squarely in the middle of an election-year debate over energy policy. Democratic leaders have signaled that their opposition to lifting the ban hasn't changed, saying they are against drilling as a means of achieving energy independence.

Oil doubled in the past year, touching a record $139.89 a barrel on June 16, as investors bought commodities to hedge against a weakening U.S. dollar and concern mounted that demand is growing faster than supply. Rising gasoline prices in the U.S. have sparked concern the economy may slip into recession.

Along with lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling, Bush wants Congress to allow exploration and drilling in a portion of the 19-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, leasing of federal lands to mine and extract oil from shale in the Green River Basin of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, and accelerating the permit process for new refineries.

Price at the Pump

Bush, in his radio address, said Congress's lack of action on his drilling proposals is partially responsible for high gas prices. ``Now, Americans are paying the price at the pump for this obstruction,'' he said.

By urging lawmakers to lift the federal ban and work with coastal states to open up more areas of the outer continental shelf to exploration, Bush is reinforcing a similar proposal endorsed this week by John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate, opposes it.

As rising energy costs have become a top issue for voters, Bush and his fellow Republicans are seeking to portray Democrats as standing in the way of measures to help lower gasoline prices. Bush's move carries some risk as well, because offshore exploration has faced opposition in Florida, which will be a battleground in the presidential campaign.

Lawmakers last debated oil drilling in U.S. coastal areas in 2005 and 2006, when gasoline averaged $1.84 a gallon during the two-year period, Bloomberg data showed.

To contact the reporter on this story: Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: June 21, 2008 10:06 EDT