[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15013]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            HIGH GAS PRICES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, people are right to be concerned about 
the impact of high gas prices, diesel fuel, and even though it is 
summer, soon we'll have to be concerned about home heating oil prices 
as well. This is hurting everyone from truck drivers to nonprofits, 
like Meals on Wheels, who are seeing fewer volunteers because they 
can't afford the gasoline. It is clear that American families are 
struggling after years of this administration's failed energy policies. 
They need help from their political leaders, but most of all, they 
deserve to be treated honestly.
  While it may test well with some focus groups to talk about opening 
up some of our most fragile and sensitive areas, like the Arctic, for 
drilling, it fails the more fundamental test of making a difference for 
our families today or for at least this year. It will take 10 to 20 
years before the oil begins to flow from a place like the Arctic, and 
the benefits will not necessarily be noticed by families even then as 
we are in a vast global oil market. We hear now that there is a lack of 
equipment, materials and workers that compounds the problem of getting 
that oil to flow even if we move forward.
  Expanding oil drilling as an answer to the current problems is a hoax 
because it will not make any difference for years, and even then, it 
will have so small an impact as to not even be noticed by most people. 
A difference of 2 cents a gallon in 20 years is little solace for 
people who are seeing gas prices rise 10 cents in a couple of days and 
oil prices shooting up $10 a barrel in a single day. It is a cruel hoax 
because there are things that can be done now.
  An example of something we can do tomorrow which will make a 
difference immediately would be to release even a small fraction of the 
oil stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This would squeeze 
dollars out of the speculative part of the price of oil today. The 
money from the proceeds of selling this oil could be used to finance 
badly needed energy and transportation alternatives, and we would still 
have money left over with which we could continue to fill the Reserve 
with less expensive oil over time.
  There are a series of initiatives that are being examined by the 
House this week that would rein in oil speculators. I don't know 
whether it's $5 or $50 a barrel. The experts we hear from conflict, but 
it's clear that there is some impact. If we stopped wasting taxpayer 
dollars and eliminated the Hummer tax loophole, which subsidizes the 
purchase of the largest, heaviest, most expensive gas guzzlers on the 
road, and instead used that money to make investments, that would help 
families now.
  We can also help immediately by leveling the tax and policy playing 
field to give American families more choices about how they get around 
and about how they spend their money on their transportation needs. 
That's why I've introduced legislation, the Transportation and Housing 
Choices for Gas Price Relief Act, that recognizes, while there is no 
single solution to the complex energy situation we are facing, we can 
immediately reduce the impact of high gas prices on consumers by 
providing them with real options.
  The bill would expand the successful Safe Routes to Schools program, 
and it would make high schools eligible so children could get to school 
on their own, burning calories instead of fossil fuel.
  It would allow self-employed small businesspeople to get for the 
first time transit commuting benefits currently enjoyed by other 
employees of larger businesses. This legislation wouldn't force 
commuters into a one-size-fits-all solution for their transportation 
benefits. Instead, it would level the playing field so they could 
access what works for them.
  The bill recognizes that the housing choices that reduce commuting 
costs sometimes may be a little more expensive, but it results in a 
legitimate increase in terms of their capacity to purchase a house, and 
that should be reflected in policy. It promotes telecommuting as well.
  It uses current resources better to give people more choices designed 
to make lives better for Americans today, this year, in 2008, not 
waiting until 2028. Congress should not spin an energy fantasy, but 
should deal with things that we can do today to deal with today's 
energy realities, and I urge my colleagues to look at the options like 
those in my legislation.

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