[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7826-7827]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            RECORD HIGH GAS PRICES REQUIRE ACTION, NOT BLAME

  (Mr. BRALEY of Iowa asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Madam Speaker, the price of gasoline is now 
averaging over $3.60 a gallon. House Democrats are working to provide 
some relief, but we face stiff opposition from the White House and 
congressional Republicans who have opposed every single energy bill 
that we have brought to the floor this year. When it comes to energy, 
the GOP doesn't want to work with us. They simply want to say ``no.''
  When Democrats voted to repeal unnecessary subsidies to big oil 
companies so we could instead invest in clean, renewable energy, 
Republicans overwhelmingly voted ``no.'' It didn't matter that the 
legislation would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, lower prices at 
the pump and create new, green jobs. They still preferred the status 
quo.
  When Democrats passed the Energy Price Gouging Act to punish those 
who take advantage of these record prices

[[Page 7827]]

by increasing them even further, Republicans overwhelmingly voted 
``no.''
  Madam Speaker, Democrats understand the hardship that families are 
facing every time they go to the gas station, and that is why we've 
passed six bills that would provide real relief to consumers.
  It's time Republicans realized that ``no'' is not an energy strategy.

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