Statement of Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member
Committee on Energy and Commerce

FLOOR STATEMENT
H.R. 3893, THE "GASOLINE FOR AMERICA'S
SECURITY ACT OF 2005"

October 7 , 2005

We have before us today a hastily crafted, minimally reviewed bill of dubious virtue. We have had no hearings on the specific measures before us; in fact, major changes in language were revealed late last night. We have not received a single response to questions we asked of the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. We do not know whether the provisions in the energy bill passed less than two months ago to expedite refinery siting are working. We do not know what these new provisions on refinery siting will do.

There can be only one explanation for this rush to the Floor, and it is the desire of the Republican leadership of the House to use the hardships and devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to push various parts of their agenda. The former Majority Leader, as is his custom, has tried to blame Democrats for all ills, saying “[t]he Democrats made us drop many important issues out of the last energy bill that . . . would have helped this situation that we have found ourselves in now, and it is time to go back and revisit those.” Of course, the Committee Chairman offered to negotiate, but the preordained schedule and goals meant that all the Republicans wished to negotiate was political cover rather than true bipartisan provisions to help the public.

So now we have before us a poorly thought out and poorly vetted effort to pass Republican and industry wish lists. This is not the way to respond to the actual energy issues raised by the hurricanes.

If we decide to act on an expedited basis, we should be focusing the immediate problems of rising gasoline prices and the anticipated increases in natural gas and home heating oil prices. Democrats will offer today a sensible substitute that provides tough consequences for price gouging wherever in the energy industry it occurs, not just by the little corner gas station.

Our substitute will also tackle the problem of limited refinery capacity head on – by creating a Strategic Refinery Reserve patterned after the successful Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We direct the Secretary of Energy to establish and operate refineries that will help protect our national security and consumers from supply disruptions. The public interest demands no less.

I urge my colleagues to support the Democratic substitute, and to reject the flawed Republican bill and the demeaning process that produced it.

- 30 -

(Contact: Jodi Seth, 202-225-3641)