Energy Bill Anniversary Brings Pain at the Pump

ENERGY BILL ANNIVERSARY BRINGS PAIN AT THE PUMP

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is the first anniversary of the House passage of the Bush energy bill.

Our Republican colleagues probably want to take a victory lap, but they just cannot afford the gas. Gas prices, you see, in that 1 year are 71 cents higher today than they were 12 months ago.

The Republican energy bill fails American consumers by design.

They moved it a year ago, even though they knew it would grow our dependence on foreign oil because it offered $85 billion in consumer subsidies to Big Oil and the other Republican corporate campaign donors.

It has paid off. Eighty-four percent of Big Oil's more than $10 million in political contributions for this November's elections have gone to Republicans, 84 percent. Is it any wonder who the Republican energy bill really serves?

Too many of my Republican colleagues are addicted to oil company campaign contributions.

We need to reject the failed policies of the past. We need to build a brighter future of greater energy independence by using energy smarter, investing in new, job-creating energy technologies and, for instance, making my State of Ohio the Silicon Valley of alternative energy.

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