[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6982]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               REPUBLICANS OFFER NO REAL ENERGY SOLUTION

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, Washington Republicans realize they have a 
credibility problem with the American people when it comes to their 
cozy relationships with the oil industry.
  For 5 years now, President Bush has stacked his administration with 
energy executives. Shortly after he took office, Newsweek commented 
that ``not since the rise of the railroads more than a century ago has 
a single industry placed so many foot soldiers at the top of the new 
administration.''
  Two-thirds of the Department of Energy and its transition team worked 
for the energy industry, including Enron's Ken Lay, who is now on trial 
for manipulating energy markets. It is no wonder that the Nation's 
three largest petroleum companies, ExxonMobil, Chevron and Conoco 
Phillips, posted combined quarter profits of almost $16 billion last 
week.
  Rather than really address price gouging or the outrageous tax breaks 
that these companies continue to receive, House Republicans offer more 
of the same failed policies that have not worked for 5 years.
  Madam Speaker, it is time Republicans realize that these companies 
are gouging the consumer. It is time that we pass the tough Democratic 
price gouging bill consumers deserve, no less. Price gouging is wrong. 
It's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong.

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