[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11973]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 REPUBLICAN LEADERS OPPOSE EFFORTS TO LOWER RECORD HIGH GAS PRICES AT 
                                THE PUMP

  (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, for 7 years now, Washington Republicans 
have allowed Big Oil to run our Nation's energy policy. From the very 
first days of this administration, Vice President Cheney was meeting in 
secret with energy executives to develop its energy proposal. Today we 
see the results of that secret policy that was approved by a rubber-
stamp Republican Congress. When President Bush took office, the average 
price of gas was $1.47. Today, it has more than doubled to an average 
hovering around $4.
  Since taking control of Congress last year, Democrats have rejected 
the failed Republican policies that are responsible for these record 
high prices. We are working to lower prices by cracking down on price 
gouging, holding OPEC accountable for price fixing, repealing subsidies 
for profit-rich oil companies, and instead investing in renewable 
energy.
  Each of these efforts have received some partisan support, but the 
Republican leadership of this House and the President continue to 
oppose our efforts.

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