[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 64 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H4659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               GAS PRICES

  (Mr. FAZIO of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, everybody knows that gas prices 
are rising, but if you think you have got trouble, you ought to look at 
what the people in California are facing: in Sacramento, $1.54 a 
gallon; in San Jose, $1.79; in Santa Barbara, $2.19 a gallon. That is 
right. Here in the District of Columbia, it is only $1.39 on average; 
nationally, $1.27.
  Clearly, we have a bigger problem in our very isolated gasoline 
market on the west coast. We have 10 percent of our refineries down and 
out of commission. We have the added costs of newly reformulated 
gasoline.
  Sure, something needs to be done, and we can help by repealing the 
4.3 cents gas tax increase, but what are we going to do to guarantee 
that that money actually finds its way into the pockets of consumers? 
That is $30 billion the consumers need back.
  Our Republican friends have shown no inclination or ability to make 
that happen. They simply are going to be feathering the nests of the 
major oil companies in this country.

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