Washington (Platts)--24Apr2008

Five US senators will call on President Bush Thursday to persuade OPEC to
increase oil supplies or risk having Congress hold up multi-million-dollar
arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other OPEC members, the senators'
offices said.

"As Americans are paying more than ever to fill up their cars at the gas
station, it is clear that oil production by OPEC members is below the capacity
at which they could be producing," the senators' offices said in an advisory
to news organizations announcing a news conference on Thursday to release the
letter to Bush.

Senators Charles Schumer of New York, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Bob
Casey of Pennsylvania and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, all Democrats, and
Senator Bernard Sanders, a Vermont Independent who caucuses with the
Democrats, will sign the letter, their offices said.

"The Bush administration has refused to be tough with so-called OPEC
allies and in fact continues to provide huge arms deals, despite the economic
pains taxpayers are feeling," the statement said.

The senators' call for action is one of a number of demands for action on
oil and fuel prices from Democrats and Republicans in Congress, many of whom
blame each other for not doing something to curb record-breaking prices.
On Thursday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell criticized
Democrats for not succeeding in implementing what they called a "common-sense"
plan to lower gasoline prices two years ago.

"In fact, since taking control of Congress last year, Democrats not only
failed to deliver on their promise to lower gas prices, they have repeatedly
pushed for policies that would raise, not lower, prices at the pump,"
McConnell said in remarks prepared for the Senate floor.