WASHINGTON -- Democrats responded to President Bush's energy-related announcements on Tuesday that included the easing of environmental rules for gasoline and the temporary suspension of the purchase of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). And the explosion of activity at the federal and state levels continued unabated following Bush's moves that he said were designed to help relieve the strain on the American people" created by high gasoline prices.
Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), [image-nocss] Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) visited a Washington, D.C., gas station yesterday, calling on the president and the Republican Congress to put aside their allegiance to Big Oil and help Americans struggling just to fill their gas tanks.
The Democrats unveiled legislation that they said will give more funding to the agencies responsible for monitoring and cracking down on gasoline price gouging. The funding will be provided in an amendment Schumer will offer to the Supplemental Appropriations Bill under debate currently in the Senate, and will give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other state and federal agencies hundreds of millions of dollars to make sure oil companies are playing by the rules and aren't exploiting consumers.
Bush and other administration officials also have urged federal and state agencies to step up their price-gouging monitoring and enforcement when warranted.
Click here to read a transcript of President Bush's speech.
Gasoline prices across America are intolerable, and until the president tells oil companies that he's going to take action, they will continue to hike their profits at the expense of American workers and businesses, said Durbin. The president has to call the oil company executives into his office, look them in the eye and tell them they're harming our economy and killing jobs in America. We need a new direction if we are going to become energy independent and if we want gasoline prices to come down before they cripple the American economy.
Stabenow said, It is outrageous that oil companies rake in billions in profits each year while families pay $40 or more every time they fill up the gas tank. We need to stop rewarding the oil companies and get some relief to taxpayers who are feeling the pain of high gas prices.
Added Schumer, Last year we offered the amendments that would have recouped billions of dollars the oil industry was socking away by closing egregious tax loopholes and unnecessary tax breaks. This very same White House threatened to use its first veto ever to protect its big oil buddies from these tax measures, even at a time when they're rolling in record profits. It is proof positive that their rhetoric is hollow and that their actions don't back it up.
Boxer said, If all the oil companies were doing was passing along their costs because of Katrina and Middle East instability, we would see that reflected in their statements. But what we see again and again are record profits. The American people are being exploited and it has got to stop. We either need a windfall profit tax or the FTC needs to order a disgorgement of profits, which it can do at any time.
Cantwell added, The American public wants more than just talk; they want to see results. We need to make sure oil companies aren't manipulating supply, and we need to put in place strong price gouging protections to put some force behind our consumer protection laws. We need to take immediate steps to figure out what's behind these prices, and push an aggressive alternative fuels development strategy to put America firmly on the path to energy independence.
Meanwhile, to point out ways that the Bush administration can act immediately to address spot fuel outages and high gasoline prices, U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, has asked Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta to consider a temporary exemption on the maximum driving and on-duty time for truck drivers who haul gasoline to and from terminals and retail gas stations.
The exemption would be in effect during the current fuel-switching period from winter-grade to summer-grade gasoline and would expedite fuel distribution, he said.
Click here to view Bingaman's letter.
More gasoline price-related actions around the country included:
Several New York City Council members are introducing legislation that would prevent gas stations from increasing prices at the pump more than once a day, said NY1 News. Officials said stations only receive fuel deliveries once a day, so raising the price more than once a day is considered price gouging. Any station caught violating the law would be fined $500 to $10,000. The Connecticut Senate yesterday approved a bill banning gasoline zone pricing, reported The Stamford Advocate. The zone-pricing amendment passed 28 to 7. It was attached to a bill that would require gasoline suppliers to allow their retailers to offer cash discounts. The Michigan House unanimously approved a bill (HB 4502) that would increase fines for station owners who intentionally overcharge or purposely cheat the public with inaccurate pumps, said the Associated Press. In addition to other penalties, station owners who intentionally deliver less fuel to a customer than indicated on the pump would face a civil fine of $5,000 for a first offense. A second offense would cost $10,000; a third offense, $25,000. The state Department of Agriculture would be able to shut down violating stations until problems were corrected. It would be required to annually inspect any station with three or more violations. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard called again for a state law to criminalize price gouging. Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti Jr. said his office is expanding its investigation into rising gasoline prices. He is sending letters to all major oil companies, distributors and retailers asking for information that may explain why there have been large spikes in fuel prices recently as well as in the weeks and months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.