[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                             ENERGY PRICES

  (Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, when President Obama was 
inaugurated in January 2009, the average nationwide price for a gallon 
of gasoline was $1.84. The 2012 March nationwide average has been $3.89 
or higher, reflecting a 110 percent increase. Keep in mind that every 
penny increase in the price of gasoline costs the U.S. economy $1 
billion and American consumers $4 million per day.
  Now, last week, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, while testifying in 
front of a House committee, was asked to grade his performance on 
American gasoline prices. He graded himself an ``A''--an ``A,'' 
America--when the price at the pump for American families has gone up 
over 110 percent.
  I'm sorry, Secretary Chu, America doesn't grade on a curve. We give 
your performance and the performance of the administration's handling 
of energy in America the grade of ``F.''

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