[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 60 (Thursday, May 5, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H3066]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               GAS PRICES

  (Mrs. HARTZLER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. HARTZLER. I rise today to express the frustration of the good 
people of Missouri's Fourth District with our Nation's gas prices. As I 
traveled around the Fourth District last week speaking at eight town 
hall meetings, the one comment I heard everywhere I went was that gas 
prices are crippling our families and our businesses.
  One over-the-road trucker that I visited with from El Dorado Springs 
told me that just a couple of years ago he would bring $1,000 in cash 
on the road with him for a week's worth of diesel, but now he has to 
come up with $2,500 in cash before climbing in the cab. This is 
extremely hard for someone just trying to make ends meet, and carrying 
so much cash is dangerous, too.
  Every extra dollar in gas prices means one less dollar for a family's 
food, clothes, or spending time together at a ball game. For the 
average driver, the increased cost of gas since the President took 
office is nearly $1,100 a year.
  We must stop the government from standing between its citizens and 
reasonable gas prices. This country has been blessed with some of the 
most abundant resources on the face of the Earth, but this 
administration has stood in the way of exploring and utilizing them at 
every turn. It's time for the President to get out of the way and let 
us get to work developing our own sources of energy.

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