White House Calls for Tax Hikes, Admits It Won\’t Lower Gas Prices |
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Topics: President Barack Obama
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Congressman John Boehner
April 27, 2011
At his press briefing yesterday, White House press secretary Jay Carney was asked point-blank how raising taxes on energy producers would lower gasoline prices. He couldnt answer the question, instead saying the President is very focused on the issue of gas prices. That admission is telling, and it demonstrates that the White House and Washington Democrats are flat-out desperate. Gasoline prices have doubled on President Obamas watch and the new ABC News/ Washington Post survey shows that he is paying the price for blocking efforts to expand American energy production. The White House cant say the President is focused on gas prices by offering solutions that fail to address the problem.
The American people are demanding concrete action to expand American energy production to help lower prices and create more jobs, and Republicans are fighting for their priorities. Reuters reports this morning in a story titled Republicans turn up heat on Obama over oil prices about GOP efforts to encourage the Obama Administration to work in a bipartisan way to address the problem:
With Americans upset over rising gasoline prices, Republicans in Congress aim to fix the blame on one person when they return next week from recess: President Barack Obama.
Congress wrapped up its last work session on April 15 with Democrats and Republicans in a blistering debate over budget deficits and the size of the federal government.
Now, Republican leaders in the House of Representatives aim to pivot to another hot-button issue: high gasoline prices that are hitting consumers who are already struggling to recover from a prolonged economic downturn.
Running on empty: Obama administration does nothing to address skyrocketing gas prices, screamed a press release on Tuesday from House Speaker John Boehners office.
The Republicans focus on energy comes as the national retail price for regular gasoline has hit $3.88 a gallon, more than $1 a gallon more than a year ago.
Gas pump sticker shock could get worse as the looming U.S. summer driving season hikes demand for gasoline and political unrest continues in Middle East oil-producing countries.
All this has U.S. motorists worried that gasoline prices could approach the record-high $4.11 per gallon of July 2008.
Over the next several weeks, as The Hill reports, Republicans will continue working to advance legislation to boost American energy production throughout the U.S. and stop the Obama Administration policies that are driving up gas prices. These measures will also help create more American jobs. Learn more and follow our progress on the American Energy Initiative at: http://facebook.com/americanenergy.
Bottom line is this: If the White House and Democrats are serious about lowering gas prices, they will work with Republicans to help solve the problem. If they dont, no amount of desperation is going to save them from the wrath of the American people who are demanding action to increase the supply of American energy to help address skyrocketing gas prices.