[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 129 (Thursday, July 31, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H7634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           STOPPING THE FURTHER THEFT OF IRAQ'S OIL RESOURCES

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, just prior to the invasion of Iraq on 
March 17, 2003, the price of a barrel of oil was $30.01, and the price 
of a gallon of gas was $1.77, the average.
  On July 29, 2008, the price of a barrel of oil was $122.21, and the 
average gallon of gas, $3.96.
  The invasion of Iraq was about oil, but it didn't result in more oil 
or cheaper gas. It resulted in war profiteering by oil companies who 
benefited by keeping Iraq oil off the market. Remember the secret 
meetings between the administration and the oil company executives 
before the war?
  Well, today, I'm going to introduce a bill which prevents U.S.-based 
oil companies from development of and investment in the petroleum 
resources of Iraq. This will discourage U.S. oil companies from 
profiting from the war and will stop the further theft of Iraq's oil 
resources by the very interests who have profited from the war for oil, 
the U.S. oil companies.

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