The Effects of High Gasoline Prices

THE EFFECTS OF HIGH GASOLINE PRICES -- (House of Representatives - July 31, 2008)

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

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, today in Texas the temperature is going to be about 103 to 105 degrees. It's going to be hot, and it's been hot for the last 2 weeks.

Last night I had the pleasure of visiting with some of my constituents back home, several hundred of them. And at this time of the year, Texans generally try to get their old folks and their kids out of the heat wherever they can. So historically Texans have loaded up in their pickups with their campers or their tents, and they have gone to visit our neighbors in New Mexico and Colorado to get a little bit up in the mountains and get a little bit cooler so we can stay alive when this heat hits us.

But it's not happening in Texas today because, quite frankly, ordinary folks can't afford to load up their pickup, put gasoline in it, and drive the distance it takes to get to the mountains. And they're concerned about it, and they're worried about it. And they want to know if they are having to take the heat, why can't this House stand the heat and stay here until we have resolved this issue of offshore drilling and drilling in other parts of the country.

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