[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3745]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1210

                               GAS PRICES

  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. That's the Dallas Morning News front page. 
And do you know what they're saying? Gas prices are going up for all 
drivers and it's time for the gallon of gas to come down or stop. You 
know, it has risen nearly a buck since last September. That's why I'm 
calling on the IRS to stand up for small business by increasing the gas 
mileage rate that they can deduct. The IRS increased the optional 
mileage rate during spiking gas prices in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina 
and in 2008. Gas prices are going upward, and there are no signs that 
the pain at the pump will subside anytime soon.
  Taxpayers today, especially small businesses struggling to stay 
afloat, want, need, and deserve rates that reflect the current cost of 
travel. They need those deductions.
  We need to drill for oil. Call the White House at 202-456-1414 and 
tell them about it.


                ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind the gentleman from 
Texas that remarks in debate are properly addressed to the Chair.

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