[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6564]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  ADMINISTRATION DRIVING UP OIL PRICES

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. I'd like to follow up on the comments of my good friend 
from Illinois. The high cost of gasoline is troubling all Americans. 
$3.50 a gallon, approaching $120 a barrel. Now I just would 
respectfully suggest that the administration has a lot to do with this. 
This administration, which has a great familiarity with the oil 
industry, has pursued policies, including the war in Iraq, that has led 
to the price of oil being driven up. Even the threats on attacking Iran 
have at one time or another helped to increase the cost of the price of 
a barrel of oil.
  There is one thing that this Congress can do immediately to start to 
gain the American public some relief, and that is to bring a windfall 
profits tax forward. Enforce some discipline in the marketplace. Bring 
these oil companies to heel by using the power of Congress to tax the 
excess profits and take that money and put it into a fund that would 
enable Americans to get tax breaks for the purchase of energy efficient 
vehicles. This is the approach we ought to be taking.

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