[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 71 (Wednesday, June 7, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H3431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REFINERY PERMIT PROCESS SCHEDULE ACT

  (Mr. CARNAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, it is beginning to sound like a broken 
record around here: another week of record high gas prices, another 
Republican bill that benefits oil companies without helping consumers. 
Five years of Republicans' failed energy policies have resulted in 
Americans paying twice as much at the pump as they did in 2001, while 
big oil companies make triple the profits.
  To distract Americans from this fact, Republicans have put forth the 
pro-oil company bills like the current Refinery Permit Process Schedule 
Act which they claim will lower fuel costs for consumers by allowing 
oil companies to drill more freely. Instead, the bill simply offers yet 
another needless handout to large oil companies in the form of weakened 
local regulation where any local public health and environmental 
concern could be ignored.
  Mr. Speaker, instead of taking initiative and moving forward with 
real solutions to the growing fuel crisis in our country, Republicans 
offer more of the same. This is just another handout to Big Oil, which 
is exactly what got us into this mess. Democrats have put forth a real 
plan for energy independence by 2020. Americans know it is time for a 
change.

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