[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22355]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       VOTE AGAINST THE GAS BILL

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, Republicans in Congress lost no time in turning 
the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina into an opportunity to enrich their 
friends in the oil industry at the expense of the American people. The 
Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005 should be called the Second 
Energy Special Interest Act of 2005.
  Energy companies got $12.8 billion in subsidies and tax breaks just 2 
months ago. Now, Republicans are giving them a bill filled with the 
measures that were too objectionable to go in the first time around. 
This bill is a polluter-friendly giveaway that has nothing to do with 
helping hurricane victims or securing America's energy needs.
  Not only does this bill do nothing for Americans facing soaring gas 
or home heating prices, it guts clean air protections and undermines 
the Environmental Protection Agency. Only the profit-soaked oil and gas 
companies win with this bill. Everyone else is stuck paying higher 
energy prices in the short run and the incalculable long-term costs 
that will result from compromising our environment and failing to 
achieve energy independence.

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