1. a) Where was Republican presidential candidate John McCain yesterday?
b) What did Sen. McCain call on the U.S. government to do?

2. a) A moratorium is defined as: a stopping of an activity for an agreed amount of time. How long has the U.S. moratorium on new offshore drilling been in effect?
b) When will the moratorium expire?
c) What needs to happen for the moratorium to be extended?

3. a) What is the Minerals Management Service?
b) How many barrels of oil has the MMS estimated there to be on the Outer Continental Shelf in U.S. territory?

4. a) What has Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said about new offshore drilling?
b) What did Obama supporter Gov. Tom Vilsack say about McCain's position?

5. Polls show that the majority of Americans support new offshore drilling. One CNN poll showed that 70% of Americans support new drilling, though only 51% believe it will reduce the price of gas at the pump in the coming year.
Do you think Congress should let the moratorium expire and allow new drilling? Explain your answer. Ask a parent the same question.

6.  OPTIONAL: Visit www.house.gov for your Representative's contact information. Call or email the office with your opinion on allowing new offshore drilling.
Note: House Speaker Democrat Nancy Pelosi went into summer recess without allowing a vote on this issue. Republican House members have continued to meet in Congress to urge Rep. Pelosi to allow a vote on this issue.  Consider contacting Speaker Pelosi's office also with your opinion on this issue.

NOTE: It's still a matter of debate how long it would take for oil from new ocean wells to move into the supply pipeline. But exploring these coastal areas could have an immediate impact at the pump. Just the possibility that domestic oil supplies are expanding likely would deter speculators, sending prices down. There was a real-life example of that effect recently when a mere Energy Department announcement of higher-than-expected fuel supplies sent crude oil prices tumbling temporarily. (Oil prices are set by the international market, and a modest rise in U.S. production would have minimal impact on world prices, according to a report. The oil industry, however, says aggressive drilling by the United States would send a message to the market, curbing speculation-driven price increases.)