GOP Working to Help Americans Suffering from High Gas Prices While Dems Campaign for Tax Hikes |
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Congressman John Boehner
May 18, 2011
According to a recent Gallup/USA Today survey, skyrocketing gas prices are causing financial hardship for seven in 10 American families. What are Democrats doing to help By their own admission: nothing.
Yesterday, Senate Democrats forced a vote on energy tax hike legislation that Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) admitted was not going to have any effect on the price of gasoline. A report in The Washington Times explains how Democrats are playing politics with a campaign for gas tax hikes that is clearly meant for the cameras:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reids attempt to raise taxes on U.S. oil companies Tuesday night would not have lowered the $4 price tag on a gallon of gasoline. The political stunt fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage, but Mr. Reid vowed to bring back the attack on big oil before any final deal on next years budget or the debt ceiling could be reached.
I asked Mr. Reid if his legislation would lower the price at the pump, and Mr. Reid said no: I think that its not going to have any effect on the price of gasoline. The Democratic leader said he wanted lower petrol prices, but he offered no concrete solutions. Common sense dictates that this would do it … all I have are the quotes that it won’t increase the price of gasoline, he added, looking at his notes.
Increasing domestic production, keeping taxes low and cutting out bureaucracy is exactly what is needed to tackle high gas prices. Unfortunately, Democrats appear more interested in scoring political points than helping American families. Mr. Reid’s continued fight to push through a $20 billion tax hike on oil companies would only increase prices at the pump this summer.
Despite the fact that Sen. Reids energy tax legislation failed to garner enough support even from members of his own party to pass, Democrats have made clear that they will continue pushing to raise taxes on American energy producers. While Democrats waste time on political stunts that will do nothing to help American families and small businesses, Republicans are fighting to advance a much different agenda through the American Energy Initiative.
With the American Energy Initiative, the new House majority is working to stop Washington policies that are driving up gas prices and expand American energy production to help lower costs and create jobs. Rep. John Kline (R-MN) highlighted those efforts in an op-ed in The Post-Bulletin earlier this week:
We want to cut through the red tape and break down bureaucratic barriers to American energy production. Government should be promoting Americas energy resources, not blocking their development.
We have held dozens of hearings in the first few months of 2011 to identify the flawed policies that are standing in the way of greater American energy independence.
We have offered specific legislation to eliminate permitting delays, block regulations that will drive up prices, and move forward on leases to allow energy exploration and development.
Last week, the House began to consider a series of bills that I co-sponsored which will expand offshore energy production to create jobs, lower energy costs, and generate revenue to help pay down the national debt.
To learn more about what the new House majority is doing to address soaring gas prices and help provide relief to American families and small businesses, visit and like the American Energy Initiative on Facebook: http://facebook.com/americanenergy.