[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 120 (Friday, September 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H5683-H5684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONDEMNING PRICE GOUGING WITH RESPECT TO MOTOR FUELS FOLLOWING 
                  TERRORIST ACTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce be discharged from further 
consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 238) condemning any price 
gouging with respect to motor fuels during the hours and days after the 
terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I do not 
intend to object, but yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) to 
explain his request.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, we also want to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Dingell), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher), and all of the 
other minority members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce for 
working with the majority on this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution puts the House on record in condemning 
any acts of price gouging in gasoline or other motor fuels occurring 
after Tuesday's tragic events. Since Tuesday, there have been 
widespread media reports about gas stations in some parts of the 
country jacking up gas prices to as much as $6 per gallon, more than a 
300 percent increase.
  While America sat stunned and friends and relatives wondered about 
the well-being of their loved ones, while parts of the country 
struggled to evacuate government buildings and tourist attractions, 
while our Nation's emergency response crews mobilized, some vendors 
were trying to line their own pockets. If this activity is not illegal, 
it is certainly disgraceful.
  This resolution, on a bipartisan fashion, condemns price gouging, 
wherever it exists. Although prices may have returned to normal, and in 
most cases prices never escalated, the fact is, the potential remains 
for consumer abuse. This type of behavior undermines consumer 
confidence and contributes to

[[Page H5684]]

public uncertainty during times of crisis, and must not be tolerated.
  This resolution calls on State and Federal agencies to investigate 
allegations of price gouging and to prosecute to the fullest extent of 
the law any violations of the law. There has been no disruption in our 
Nation's fuel supply. Production is up, stocks are full, and 
distribution is operating at normal levels. There is no reason, I 
repeat, there is no reason to jack up prices. We will get through this 
crisis intact, and America will be stronger than ever.
  Tuesday, September 11, was a day of decision. International 
terrorists decided to test America's will, and Americans decided to 
defeat them once and for all. This is not a time to let deceptive 
gasoline dealers double-deal the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can pass this resolution by unanimous 
consent.
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
yield to my friend, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), the full 
committee chairman.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. Let me thank 
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy for the work on this bill. 
Most particularly let me thank the ranking member, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the staffs of our two committees, and all of 
you for the work you have done in bringing this bill to the floor.
  The bottom line is this resolution condemns Americans taking 
advantage of other Americans in the middle of a crisis, when there is 
no need whatsoever to raise gasoline prices.
  There is ample fuel out there for every American. This resolution 
condemns such taking advantage for greed purposes of other Americans in 
the middle of this crisis and calls for the Federal Trade Commission to 
commence an immediate investigation and for the prosecution under State 
law of those who may have violated the law.
  Like all the things we have done this week in the middle of this 
crisis, this resolution represents incredible bipartisan effort. The 
drafting was done together, we bring it to the floor together, and we 
urge its immediate adoption.
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kleczka).
  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for yielding. 
Let me also recognize the chairman of the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin). I spoke to him 
numerous times this week.
  I have heard about this from Members on the floor. The gentleman from 
Alabama indicated that in his district the gas prices went to over $5 a 
gallon. The Midwest, Wisconsin and Milwaukee, has had problems 
throughout these last couple of years. Basically, it surrounds 
reformulated gas. We are trying to work with EPA and correct some of 
that problem.
  But then, lo and behold, we have the worst tragedy to beset this 
Nation on Tuesday; and operators in the city of Milwaukee, like some 
other unsatisfactory operators, have to raise the price of gas 
dramatically.
  This does not resolve the problem, but I think it puts those types of 
characters on notice that Congress is not going to stand for it and the 
FTC should not stand for it. And I have a further caveat or addition to 
the resolution, and that is, the consumers in those areas should make 
note of those stations and boycott them. You run a couple of these 
buggers out of business and the problem is going to resolve itself.
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, continuing to reserve the right to object, I 
yield further to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton).
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I hope we can pass this resolution 
by unanimous consent.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on H.Res. 238.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I 
want to thank my good friend from Texas, the chairman of the 
subcommittee, for his efforts on this bipartisan resolution. The vast 
majority of the Nation's oil producers, refiners, distributors, and 
retailers reacted to Tuesday's horrendous events with the same outrage 
and with the same attention to patriotic duty, as the rest of the 
Nation did.
  Unfortunately, a very small and clearly contemptible minority, 
including some in the Midwest, chose to exploit this tragedy for 
selfish end. This resolution not only condemns these actions and urges 
justice be brought to bear, but it isolates those gougers by showing 
where the American people and the industry stand on this matter.
  Mr. Speaker, the minority fully concurs in the unanimous consent 
request made by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton.) I urge adoption 
of the resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 238

       Whereas the retail price of motor fuels reportedly rose by 
     as much as 300 percent in several locations in the United 
     States during the hours and days after the terrorist acts of 
     September 11, 2001;
       Whereas reliable reports suggest that the inventory of 
     motor fuels in the United States was adequate during that 
     period;
       Whereas no significant disruptions in the availability of 
     motor fuels were reported as a result of the terrorist acts 
     of September 11, 2001;
       Whereas several of the Nation's oil companies pledged to 
     hold their fuel prices steady during the period immediately 
     following the terrorist acts;
       Whereas the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries 
     (OPEC) has announced that all of its member countries 
     ``remain committed to continuing their policy of 
     strengthening market stability and ensuring that sufficient 
     supplies are available to satisfy market needs'' and ``are 
     prepared to use their spare capacity, if deemed necessary, to 
     achieve those goals'';
       Whereas some vendors of motor fuels in the United States 
     may have taken advantage of the uncertainty created by the 
     terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, by knowingly charging 
     in excess of a reasonable price for motor fuels, a practice 
     commonly known as ``price gouging''; and
       Whereas price gouging is detrimental to consumer confidence 
     and the economy of the United States, and was particularly 
     detrimental during the hours and days after the terrorist 
     acts of September 11, 2001: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns any price gouging with respect to motor fuels 
     during the hours and days after the terrorist acts of 
     September 11, 2001; and
       (2) urges the appropriate Federal and State agencies to 
     investigate any incidents of price gouging with respect to 
     motor fuels during the hours and days after the terrorist 
     acts of September 11, 2001, and to prosecute any violations 
     of law discovered as a result of the investigations.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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