Bush, who hosts Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, on Monday, acknowledged this week that the energy bill he has asked Congress to pass by August would not immediately reduce gas prices.

"The president is right to meet with this powerful man, but it is wrong that the leader of the United States must ask favors from a foreign prince," Markey said in the Democratic radio address.

Bush is feeling the political heat from a big rise in gasoline prices as public opinion polls show consumers are increasingly concerned. Last week, the average retail gasoline price hit a record $2.28 per gallon.

Saudi Arabia is the biggest member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the world's top oil exporter.

Bush has said he would ask the crown prince if the Saudis can step up the flow of oil and also seek a clear answer about the size of the country's spare oil production capacity.