Democrats Break Another Promise as Consumers Are Hit With Record-High Gas Prices
Washington,
May 22, 2007 -
It is peak driving season in America again, which means demand for gasoline is on the rise. In fact, the retail price of gas set a record-high $3.21 per gallon yesterday, and now House Democrats are breaking promises and now the new majority is pointing fingers instead of offering solutions that will make a real difference for American families.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told the American people last year that House Democrats had “a plan” to lower prices at the pump, but in fact they have a long track record of opposing and obstructing efforts which would lower prices at the pump for families and small businesses. In the last several years alone, Democrats have voted “NO” on increasing American-made energy supplies of every kind:
- Democrats overwhelmingly voted “NO” on increasing American supplies of Natural Gas.
- Democrats overwhelmingly voted “NO” on expanding America’s Refinery Capacity.
- Democrats overwhelmingly voted “NO” to invest in Alternative Energy.
- Democrats overwhelmingly voted “NO” on increasing American supplies of Oil.
- Democrats overwhelmingly voted “NO” on increasing American supplies of Renewable and Geothermal Energy.
Just what was the “plan” that Speaker Pelosi referred to last year?
Step One: Raise taxes on American energy producers (and thus consumers), send American jobs overseas, and increase foreign dependence.
Step Two: Repeal free-market provisions of the GOP’s 2005 energy law that increase supplies, help speed energy to market, and hold prices down for consumers.
In short, this is not an energy plan – it’s just another broken promise.
Americans understand that we need a comprehensive energy policy that increases all forms of American energy, enhances conservation, and invests in future fuels at the same time. Voting “NO” on and willfully ignoring certain forms of energy – based on the irrational sensibilities of radical environmental activists – does not make for such a plan; it makes for higher prices in America.
As Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) recently stated, voting “NO” on everything is a great way to accomplish nothing:
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“…we need to conserve, we need alternative fuels and it means we need more domestic production. Our friends across the aisle want to conserve everything but you can’t conserve much if you are operating on an empty gas tank. We need more production in America.” (CNN, 5/17/07) |
And as if American consumers weren’t paying enough, Democrats voted this year to hit middle-class families with the largest tax increase in American history. American consumers don’t need a tax hike; they need common sense solutions that address rising energy prices to give them relief at the pump.
America needs more American-made energy, in all its forms, to create goods jobs, correct our supply and demand imbalance and lower prices for consumers. But, to date, Democrats have been asleep at the wheel.
