[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6831]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           SOARING GAS PRICES

  (Mr. STUPAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, it seems almost everyone these days is 
rightfully outraged at the massive profits of oil and gas executives 
and companies. While they are raking in record profits, gas prices hit 
historic highs. That is, everyone except House Republicans.
  It is not enough that Republicans supported provisions in the energy 
bill last year that provided oil companies with $20 billion in special 
interest gifts while neglecting to include any real initiatives that 
would lower gas prices, but House Republicans then repeatedly refused 
to support Democratic efforts to give the Federal Trade Commission the 
authority to investigate all price gouging at all points of the supply 
chain. And last week, House Republicans had the opportunity to roll 
back $5 billion in additional tax breaks for oil companies over the 
next 5 years but voted overwhelmingly to reject this Democratic 
proposal.
  Are House Republicans that far out of touch? Don't they realize that 
companies with profits of $130 billion last year do not need tax 
breaks? Mr. Speaker, the cozy relationship House Republicans have with 
oil and gas executives is hurting everyday Americans who are struggling 
to pay record prices at the pump.

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