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Democratic Solutions Are Needed for Oil Crisis

Date: July 9, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Oil and Gas


DEMOCRATIC SOLUTIONS ARE NEEDED FOR OIL CRISIS -- (House of Representatives - July 09, 2008)

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday on the ``Lee Elci Show,'' in New London, Connecticut, Bill from Groton called in while I was on and informed us that to lock in for next winter in Connecticut, it costs now $5.80 a gallon.

Mr. Speaker, we've heard a lot about the hardship of high gas prices. If home heating oil stays at those levels, there will be a catastrophe this winter in terms of keeping people alive because they cannot afford those prices. All of the proposals we've heard from the other side are going to take 20 years, even if it goes perfectly according to plan. People need relief now.

President Bush, with one stroke of the pen, could release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We would have more oil into the market in 13 days. That's the type of short-term relief that consumers, particularly in the northern parts of this country, need if they are going to survive this winter.

We doubled the size of energy assistance in the Democratic budget. The Bush plan would have cut energy assistance incredibly given the fact that these prices are going through the roof. We need Democratic priorities to provide short-term relief and long-term solutions for the American consumer.


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