In the past 26 years, Congress has passed drilling bans on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts each year because of environmental concerns and pressure from some coastal states worried that drilling might hurt the tourism industry.

However, President George W. Bush has repeatedly urged Congress to lift legislative restrictions on offshore oil drilling to help address rising fuel costs.

Bush lifted an executive ban on offshore oil drilling in July. There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and another by executive order signed by former President George H. W. Bush in 1990.

Meanwhile, House passed a 25 billion dollars loan package for troubled automakers as part of a 630 billion dollars plus spending bill to keep the government running through March 2009.