[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 74 (Friday, May 25, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H2718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 LACK OF PLANNING AND NO DOMESTIC ENERGY POLICY HAS LED TO THE ENERGY 
                                 CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COLLINS. Madam Speaker, I could not help but get a little bristle 
on the back of my neck sitting in my office listening to all of the 
rhetoric that is being said here on the floor this morning.
  The complaints about the marketplace, the complaints about charges, 
the cost of goods based on supply and demand in the marketplace and, 
yes, the prices are too high. It is costing too much for families to 
pull up to the gas pump for the purpose of either commuting to work, 
visiting family or taking a vacation.
  Why is it like this? It is because of the lack of planning and having 
a domestic energy policy for this Nation.
  The previous administration avoided the issue, stayed away from the 
issue, did not want to address it, and over the last few years we have 
become more and more dependent on foreign oil, and that is wrong. But 
it is not only just the oil. We cannot even handle the refinery of oil 
for gasoline and fuel and other products.
  What we do not hear them talk about is the price that Congress 
charges for gasoline and fuel, and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Traficant) is well aware of this. Yes, we charge, we the Congress of 
the United States, charge for every gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel 
that is used in this Nation. Eighteen cents a gallon for gasoline; 24 
cents a gallon for diesel fuel, fuel that is used to transport products 
all over this Nation that we each buy as a consumer.
  People do not think that adds to the price of those products?

                              {time}  1030

  We charge 4.3 cents a gallon for aviation fuel. You do not think that 
does not add to the price of an airline ticket? 4.3 cents to the 
railroads. You do not think that does not add to the product they 
carry? 4.3 cents for barge service. You do not think that does not add 
to the price of the product that they carry? It does. But you do not 
hear anything about that from this well. But those are charges that are 
administered by the Congress of the United States.
  But, you know, there are a couple of good things about that though. 
We all pay that same rate, and those rates and those prices and those 
funds that come into the Congress are used for transportation products, 
for infrastructure, highways, bridges, things that we need, must have.
  Of course, we have a few environmental laws that prevent us 
oftentimes from putting in the projects that are needed so we can 
commute without sitting in long lines. We all experience that. But we 
pay the same price for those things, and the funds are put to good use.
  You do not hear them talking about the overcharge that we are levying 
on every working person that is in this country to operate this 
government, and we have different charges to operate this government. 
You and I can pull up to the gas pump, we will pay the same price. You 
and I can go into the same store, buy a like item, we will pay the same 
price for it. Anyplace in the marketplace that we go together, stand 
side-by-side and buy the same product, we will pay practically the same 
price for it, no matter who you are, what income level you are at.
  But when it comes to paying for the operation of government, it is 
different, much different. We do not have the same price. In fact, we 
charge five different prices to individuals to operate this government; 
five prices. Yes, five prices we charge working people across this 
country to operate their government. Those five prices are the five 
marginal tax rates based on income.
  They talk about the rich. Yes, the rich make a lot of money. But they 
pay a lot of tax too. A low income person, $30,000, $45,000 a year, 
they pay 15 percent. They are in that 15 percent bracket. That is a lot 
of money too. But it goes from 15 to 28, to 31, to 36, to 39.6 percent, 
based on the levels of income. Is anything fair about charging five 
different prices for the operation of government?
  You never hear anything about that. I do not think it is fair. That 
is what we are trying to address with the tax bill in the conference 
that is going on today, is to reduce the charge that we charge for 
operation of government and try to make it a little more fair. Five 
prices to operate the government, charged by the Congress of the United 
States.

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