Democrats Take Action on Record High Gas Prices at the Pump

Floor Speech

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, as the price of gas continues to hit record highs almost every day, House Democrats continue to work on passing legislation that creates a cleaner and smarter energy policy that will provide consumers some real relief.

This year, the House has passed nine bills, many of which the President has vetoed, that should help lower prices at the pump.

Last month we passed a final farm bill that makes an historic investment in expanding biofuel production, largely from non-food crops such as cornstalks, wood chips and switchgrass. The bill also provides support to farmers growing energy crops and entrepreneurs building refineries to convert biomass into fuel. Without biofuels, gasoline prices would be about 50 cents higher per gallon than they are right now.

The farm bill should be going to the President's desk any day now, but he plans to veto it. Fortunately, we should have enough bipartisan support to override that veto when the bill comes back to Congress.

Madam Speaker, investing in biofuels is critical to our energy future. The farm bill is just one more example of how this Democratic Congress is working to lower prices at the pump.

Source