Republican Leaders Oppose Our Efforts to Lower Record High Gas Prices at the Pump

REPUBLICAN LEADERS OPPOSE OUR EFFORTS TO LOWER RECORD HIGH GAS PRICES AT THE PUMP -- (House of Representatives - June 11, 2008)

(Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday gas prices hit an average of $4.04 a gallon, a new historic high. While Democrats are taking action to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and lower prices, Republicans continue to repeat the same old rhetoric, continue drilling in ANWR, even though the President's own Energy Department has concluded that opening up the Arctic for drilling would not reduce the price of gasoline for another 20 years, and then it would only go down by about 1 penny per gallon. That's not an energy plan to be proud of.

From day one this Democratic Congress has been fighting to reduce our independence on foreign oil, bring down record gas prices and launch a cleaner and smarter energy future. We passed bills holding OPEC and oil companies accountable for price fixing, investing in renewable energy for green jobs and cracking down on price gouging by oil companies.

The only problem is that we are not getting enough support from either House Republicans or from President Bush. How high are prices going to actually have to get before Republicans support these important bills?

Source