Boehner: "This is Not a Time for More Empty Campaign Promises of Hollow Legislation that Has No Impact on Lowering the Cost of Gasoline"

Congressman John Boehner
April 22, 2008

Boehner MP3 Audio Myrick MP3 Audio Shimkus MP3 Audio

In a news conference earlier today, House Republican leaders announced they will introduce legislation requiring Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to reveal the House Democrats’ “commonsense plan” to lower gas prices – a plan the Speaker promised the American people two years ago this week. Since Rep. Pelosi took the Speaker’s gavel on January 4, 2007, however, American families have watched the average price per gallon of gasoline soar from $2.33 to $3.53 today, according to AAA. GOP Leaders discussed the pain American working families and small businesses are enduring from this $1.20 Pelosi Premium:

REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH)

“Two years ago, Speaker Pelosi promised the American people a commonsense plan to lower rising gas prices. Well, not only have we not seen this plan, gasoline is up $1.18 since she became Speaker. You might call it the ‘Pelosi Premium.’ Rising gas prices are putting the squeeze on America’s families and small businesses. This is not a time for more empty campaign promises or hollow legislation that has no impact on lowering the cost of gasoline. I think American families want meaningful action to lower gas prices, and they want us to work together to find those answers. Today, House Republicans will introduce a resolution calling on the Speaker to finally reveal what her commonsense plan is to lower gas prices and if they don’t have one, then they ought to be working with Republicans to come up with a commonsense plan that will put lower gas prices in front of the pumps for the American people.” (AUDIO)

REP. SUE MYRICK (R-NC)

“You know, as a mom and grandma, I can relate to how all this affects families. It costs more to get back and forth to work. You’ve got to pick up your kids at school. That costs more money. Our schools are having trouble because they can’t afford to run their buses, literally. They’re trying to figure out in their budgets where the money is going to come from. My brother’s a truck driver. It costs over $1,000 to fill up a truck. Well, what happens to that? Those costs get passed on to us. And when I go to the grocery to do my shopping, I understand how hard it is for families to make ends meet and what an impact it has, because just the basics, bread, milk, eggs, everything has gone up. It’s harder and harder today to do that. So the bottom line of all this is: This is an issue that’s got to be dealt with. We certainly don’t need to raise taxes to do it. We need to have people with more money in their pocket so they can spend it the way they know best and not the government telling them what to do.” (AUDIO)

REP. JOHN SHIMKUS (R-IL)

“I just want to add my two cents worth in, based upon comments by my friend, Rahm Emanuel, in the Politico. If you read the column, he said, ‘The result was a new kind of suburban populism that helped Democrats with races.’ He says, ‘Democrats recognized voters’ anxiety about stagnating wages and cost of health care, education, and even gasoline, and vowed to address their concerns.’ That’s Rahm Emanuel, penned and published yesterday. Well, they haven’t. And that’s why you have the Pelosi Premium. And, you know, this article was about the suburbs. And it’s like, well, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. You know, the suburban voters are smarter than the Democrats give them credit for, because these are real cost increases on the soccer moms. I’m married to one. She’s in the van 24/7, getting three kids, multiple places at the same time. And when you fill up numerous times at these prices, it pinches the family’s budget. And our beef is they made promises, but they’re not delivering. In fact, we wish they would have kept it the same. Just help us keep gas prices the same as when they came in. But they’re over $1.18 now. And, really, we know what’s going to happen, $4 this summer. Add in Dingell’s 50-cent climate change tax, $4.50. The public’s going to revolt, and they should.”