[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 95 (Thursday, July 20, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H6604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               GAS PRICES

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, throughout our summer gas 
crisis, the Clinton-Gore administration has played possum with the 
American people. They have claimed that the gas crisis was not caused 
by a supply issue and blamed oil companies for price gouging. But a 
recently released internal memorandum obtained from the Department of 
Energy by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan) tells a different 
story.
  The Energy Department memo dated June 5 indicates that ``high 
consumer demand and low inventories have caused higher prices for all 
gasoline types.'' The memo also indicates that recently implemented 
gasoline standards may increase costs. But not 10 days after this memo 
was drafted, Secretary Browner told more than 30 Midwestern Members of 
Congress that the gas price hike was inexplicable.
  The Clinton-Gore administration has lost e-mails, lost important 
files and lost nuclear secrets. Now, we can add the true reason for the 
energy crisis to the lost list.

                          ____________________