By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner , vowed Wednesday to continue to push for an end to a current offshore drilling moratorium in effect until Sept. 30. But he deflected a question about whether the fight could snag the continuing resolution needed to extend funding for government programs and the current offshore drilling ban into the next fiscal year.

“We’ll wait to see whether it happens. And whether Congress will actually pass it. We’re a long way off from that,” the Ohio Republican said of the expected stopgap spending measures.

Boehner spoke to reporters as Republicans continued their weeks-old protest on the darkened House floor over alleged Democratic inaction on high gasoline prices.

Boehner said he had not spoken with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., in recent days about her September floor schedule.