Energy Policy

ENERGY POLICY -- (House of Representatives - May 03, 2006)

(Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, as of this morning, Rhode Islanders are paying on average $2.92 a gallon for gasoline. That is 40 cents more than they were paying a month ago and 70 cents more than a year ago.

Last year, Congress passed an energy bill which I opposed because it gave away billions of tax dollars to oil and gas companies, instead of investing in new technologies, alternative fuels and energy efficiency.

As it turns out, oil and gas prices have gone up since we passed the Republican energy bill. And you know what else has gone up? The profits of oil and gas companies. Now the Republican majority is proposing even more giveaways to the oil and gas industry by handing over Federal lands to open refineries and by opening up ANWR.

Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. We cannot simply drill our way out of this crisis. Growing demand from China and India and other countries is going to keep the cost of oil high for years to come, and subsidies to the oil and gas industry will not change that. We need new leadership that will promote an energy policy that encourages new technologies, energy efficiency and creates American jobs.

This morning on the ``Today Show,'' the chairman of ExxonMobil said they were in the business of making money. Well, we are in the business of protecting the American people, and it is about time this Congress does its job.

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