Cornyn: Pending Energy Bill Would Send Record-High Gas Prices in Texas Even Higher
Statement
Cornyn: Pending Energy Bill Would Send Record-High Gas Prices in Texas Even Higher
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today issued the following statement calling for improvements to pending energy legislation in Congress, as the AAA released a report indicating Texans are paying the highest-ever November gasoline prices:
"As Texans take to the roads to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving, heavy holiday traffic won't be the only headache they face this year. Gas prices across the state have risen to their highest November level in Texas history. Ironically, at the same time, some in Congress are attempting to pass energy legislation that would only increase our dependence on foreign oil and keep gas prices on the rise.
"At a time when we should do everything we can to increase our domestic energy supply as a matter of national and economic security, the pending legislation in Congress would discourage important efforts to recover rich oil and gas supplies here at home. These new restrictions, not to mention billions of dollars in new tax penalties, would hit hardest here in Texasthe nation's leading energy-producing statejeopardizing the lifeblood of our state's economy and thousands of jobs.
"Instead, we should be working to implement policies that further domestic exploration efforts, such as Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, which I supported and became law last year, that opens up millions of acres for oil and gas leasing in the energy-rich Eastern Gulf of Mexico. I will continue working for a solid energy bill that recognizes the realities of our present needs, does not increase energy costs, and moves us toward greater energy security and economic prosperity."
According to the latest AAA Texas gasoline price survey, the statewide average retail gasoline price has reached its highest-ever November level:
Amarillo: $3.120, up 4.6 cents
Austin-San Marcos: $3.000, up 3.4 cents
Beaumont: $2.974, up 1.5 cents
Corpus Christi: $2.950, up 1.3 cents
Dallas: $2.962, up 1.5 cents
El Paso: $3.006, up 7.4 cents
Fort Worth: $2.946, unchanged
Galveston-Texas City: $2.918, up 4.1 cents
Houston: $2.902, up 4.0 cents
San Antonio: $2.963, up 2.6 cents
Texarkana (Texas only): $3.022, up 2.2 cents
State: $2.973, up 3.0 cents
Nationally: $3.112, up 5.1 cents
Source