[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7284]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            RECORD HIGH GAS PRICES REQUIRE ACTION, NOT BLAME

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, skyrocketing gas prices continue to squeeze 
Americans who are now paying more than double the price for gasoline 
than they did when President Bush first took office. Families and 
businesses are paying a heavy price for the Bush administration's 
failure to enact a comprehensive energy plan.
  In December, the Democratic Congress passed a historic Energy 
Independence and Security Act which is expected to lower gas prices for 
the average family anywhere between $700 and $1,000 a year. In addition 
to this landmark legislation, the Democratic Congress has passed six 
other bills that put us on a path towards energy independence and crack 
down on price gouging. However, President Bush and his Republican 
allies in Congress strongly opposed every single one of these bills.
  Mr. Speaker, for years, the President promised to end the addiction 
to foreign oil, but this administration's energy policies favor massive 
subsidies for the oil industry. As gas prices hit record highs, 
President Bush should reconsider his opposition to these bills.

                          ____________________