[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 23, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H3020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DO-NOTHING CONGRESS FAILING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 31, 2006, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, the Do-Nothing Congress of 1948 is about to 
be replaced as the most ineffective Congress in recent times. Today, 
just as in 1948, the American people are looking to Congress to tackle 
some very important issues: The war in Iraq, rising gas prices, rising 
college and health care costs, the economic uncertainty resulting from 
the outsourcing of high-paying American jobs, and a record deficit that 
continues to spiral out of control.
  There is so much that this Congress could be working on right now, 
but House Republicans refuse to address any of these concerns. In fact, 
it is difficult to address the concerns of the American people when 
Congress is never in session.
  I am sure the American people will be shocked to hear that this is 
only the 36th day the House is scheduled to hold votes this year. With 
only 57 scheduled voting days until adjournment, the House is now on 
track to meet 15 days less than the first Do-Nothing Congress of 1948. 
And it is no wonder the American people are so disgusted with Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, the House Republican majority is simply out of new 
ideas. Any time that a crisis hits, they throw out the same old ideas 
that haven't worked for them in the past and will not work for them in 
the future. And let me give you a case in point. This week, House 
Republicans say they are finally ready to address the record gas prices 
Americans have been forced to pay every time they go to the gas 
station. So what is the new idea House Republicans will bring to the 
floor this week? Drilling in the Alaska wilderness, the area known as 
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Well, that sounds familiar. That's 
right. You've heard it before. It's nothing new. And it will do 
absolutely nothing to help American consumers with the pain they now 
face at the pump. In fact, they wouldn't even be able to start drilling 
for oil out in this Alaska wilderness until a decade after Congress 
gives its approval. Worse yet, ANWR only holds enough oil to provide 6 
months of oil to the American consumer. This is simply not an energy 
solution. It is the same old idea.
  So then why do Washington Republicans choose to ignore the problem? 
Could it be that they have built such a cozy relationship with the CEOs 
of Big Oil that they are simply unwilling to break these bonds? Let's 
not forget that with two oil men in the White House and a rubber-stamp 
Republican Congress always ready to back them up, big oil companies 
have seen their profits quadruple in the past 4 years. At the same time 
the price of gasoline has doubled and our dependence on foreign oil has 
increased substantially.
  As American families struggle to deal with falling wages and rising 
prices at the pump, the Republicans in this body continue to deliver 
billions of dollars in tax breaks to big oil companies.
  Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder the American people are demanding 
change. They want results, and they aren't getting them from this 
Republican majority.
  Unlike our Republican colleagues, House Democrats have offered some 
innovative and new ideas that are worth exploring. Last week, the 
Democratic Rural Working Group unveiled its ambitious plan to reduce 
our dependence on foreign petroleum and promote the production and use 
of clean renewable energy here at home. In other words, promote the 
production and use of clean renewable energy here at home so we are not 
so dependent on foreign oil.
  Our proposal, the Democratic proposal, provides tax incentives to 
encourage increased biofuels production, expands the ethanol and 
biodiesel pumps at gas stations, and increases the number of flex fuel 
vehicles on the road.
  The Democrats have also introduced legislation that would rescind the 
tax breaks to big oil companies. At a time when they are breaking 
record profits every quarter, why should the Federal Government hand 
out tax breaks to these companies? We shouldn't. It is simply not fair.
  As Americans prepare to travel this weekend for the Memorial Day 
holiday, they should know that Democrats are offering real solutions to 
high gas prices to protect the American consumer, not Big Oil.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people are fed up with the Republican Do-
Nothing Congress and are demanding change here in Washington, something 
that Republicans simply cannot deliver. It is time for fresh ideas. It 
is time for Democrats to take control of this House so that the needs 
of all Americans are once again addressed on this House floor rather 
than just the corporate interests such as Big Oil.

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