[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12040]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            SOLVING THE CHALLENGE WITH REGARD TO GAS PRICES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I go home, as most Members of 
Congress do, every weekend and talk with constituents and try to get a 
sense of what their concerns are and make certain that we are 
representing them responsibly here, and upon my last visits home on the 
weekends over the past 3 or 4 months, their concerns are the concerns 
of Americans all across this country, and that is the concern of energy 
prices, of gas prices. They aren't just concerned, Madam Speaker; they 
are mad. They are mad because they see absolute and utter inaction here 
in the United States Congress. American values and American vision 
dictates that we do all we can to solve the challenge that we have 
before us as it relates to gas prices.

                              {time}  1830

  Four dollars a gallon, we hit that mark over this past weekend.
  I wonder what price per gallon it will take to get this Democrat 
majority to act, to work to increase supply. Is it $5 a gallon, $6 a 
gallon, is it $10 a gallon? Will it happen then that this Democrat 
majority will then allow this Congress to vote on increasing supply?
  Now, there are all sorts of things that ought to be done. The kinds 
of things that have been described by my friend on the other side of 
the aisle are appropriate, and we ought to do them. I support, 
strongly, conservation. We can do a lot more in the area of 
conservation and should incentivize conservation.
  I support, strongly, finding that alternative fuel and incentivizing 
genius of the American people to identify what that is so that future 
generations won't be reliant on fossil fuel. But right now, it's 
imperative that we work to increase supply.
  This problem isn't new. This distinction between folks on the 
Democrat side of the aisle and the Republican party on this side of the 
aisle isn't new. We have had vote after vote after vote over the past 
10 or 15 years on increasing the supply of oil in this Nation, and time 
after time after time our friends on the other side of the aisle have 
not risen to the occasion. You talk about Alaska exploration, ANWR 
exploration, House Republicans have supported that 91 percent of the 
time, 91 percent of House Republicans have supported Alaska 
exploration; Democrats, 86 percent have opposed it.
  Jay Leno, I don't know if you heard, Jay Leno said Democrats right 
now say that it will take 10 years if we explore in Alaska to realize 
any new gasoline, and then he said, that's exactly what they said 10 
years ago.
  It goes on and on. Coal-to-liquid technology, 97 percent of 
Republicans have supported coal-to-liquid technology, 78 percent of 
Democrats have opposed coal-to-liquid technology. Oil-shale 
exploration, every time it has come up 97 percent of Republicans have 
supported it; House Democrats, 86 percent have opposed it. Deep-sea 
exploration, House Republican support, 81 percent; House Democrats, 83 
percent opposed.
  What about increasing refining capacity? House Republicans, 97 
percent support; House Democrats, 96 percent opposed. So 91 percent, in 
summary, of House Republicans, have historically voted to increase the 
production of American-made oil and gas and 86 percent of House 
Democrats have historically voted against increasing the production of 
American-made oil and gas.
  It has been said that every other Nation on Earth views their natural 
resources as an economic asset. House Democrats, this majority, 
believes that natural resources in this land are an environmental 
hazard.
  What do we do? Well, I want to commend Representative Tim Walberg of 
Michigan, who is leading the fight to decrease gas prices. He has filed 
a discharge petition on House Resolution 3089, which will increase 
refining construction and capacity, boost alternative energy 
development, provide incentives to increase nuclear energy and allow 
for environmentally friendly domestic oil production.
  I call on the Speaker, and I call on the leadership of this House to 
bring this commonsense bill to the floor. These are real solutions for 
the American people, American energy for Americans. It's the American 
vision, it's the American values that are across this land.
  The American people understand and appreciate the challenges we face. 
They just can't understand and appreciate why this majority won't act 
to increase supply.

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