[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6131]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            REPUBLICANS TOO COZY WITH OIL AND GAS COMPANIES

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, last year when gas prices hit record 
highs after Hurricane Katrina, House Republicans called the CEOs of the 
oil and gas companies to a closed-door meeting for an explanation.
  One of the CEOs Republicans met with was ExxonMobil's chief 
executive, Lee Raymond, who just walked away with a $400 million 
retirement package. House Republicans voiced dismay as to why these 
CEOs did not get the message last fall.
  Who was the House Republican leadership trying to fool? Why would oil 
and gas executives worry about Republicans taking action against them? 
After all, House Republicans have refused repeated Democratic efforts 
to allow a vote on tough legislation that would empower the Federal 
Government to end price gouging.
  House Republicans also supported an energy bill last year that did 
little more than provide $20 million in gifts to the oil and gas 
companies.
  Madam Speaker, House Republicans have a cozy relationship with these 
guys, and they have had it for too long to be taken seriously. It is no 
wonder oil and gas CEOs did not get the Republican message.

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