Senator Stabenow Joins Residents at Southfield Gas Station to Call for Action to Combat High Gas Prices

Press Release

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow today held a press conference with local residents and business owners at the Northwestern Marathon gas station in Southfield to discuss efforts to combat rising gas prices. With gas prices at a new record-high across the state, Michigan families and small businesses are struggling while oil companies are making the largest corporate profits in history. As Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Stabenow held a hearing earlier this year to investigate how much market manipulators are driving up prices and to explore ways to strengthen American made biofuel industries and other alternatives to foreign oil.

Senator Debbie Stabenow said: "Michigan families are now spending as much on gas as they are on health care and almost as much as on groceries to feed their families. Meanwhile, oil companies are making the largest corporate profits in history and to add insult to injury, are taking billions in taxpayer subsidies. We need to stop oil companies from padding their profits with taxpayer dollars, increase domestic drilling, get tough on market manipulators, and continue to promote clean energy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil and creates jobs in Michigan."

Jim Hamade, Northwestern Marathon station owner said: "High gas prices impact every part of our economy, and I think it is horrendous that we are subsidizing oil companies when they are hurting families. I'm very glad to have Senator Stabenow speak on our behalf."

Sharon McRill, Owner of the Betty Brigade said: "It's troubling to me as a small business owner to see oil companies making record profits and also being eligible for taxpayer subsidies. Just when small businesses in Michigan are starting to get in position to create new jobs, gas prices, especially for those who have mobile companies, are debilitating. I'm pleased that Senator Stabenow is in touch with what's going on and fighting for Michigan small businesses."

Don Adiska, Owner of Ovation Photographics said: "The majority of my work is done on location, which requires me to do a lot of driving and skyrocketing gas prices cut deeply into my take home pay. I appreciate Senator Stabenow's diligence in holding oil companies accountable and helping us transition away from foreign oil."

Ilene Orlanski, Royal Oak resident said: "The cost of rising prices has really impacted my pocketbook. I agree with Senator Stabenow that we must be investing in clean energy and ending giveaways to oil companies."

At the press conference, Senator Stabenow called for an end to taxpayer giveaways to oil companies. Major oil companies are making profits of over $60 billion dollars a year by taking advantage of Americans who are paying for their gas twice-first paying record high prices at the pump and then paying oil companies again on tax day. Instead of giving away $4 billion a year in oil subsidies, Stabenow proposed that those dollars be used to reduce the deficit and fund new clean energy technologies.

She also discussed the need for more domestic drilling. Earlier this year, Stabenow cosponsored "Use-it-or-lose-it" legislation to get oil companies to develop the 60 million acres of land they're currently holding but not using, in some cases just to keep their competitors from drilling there. Oil companies are drilling on less than 25% of federal lands they have leased.

Finally, as a long-time advocate for new clean energy technologies, Senator Stabenow emphasized the need for a fundamental change in America's energy policy to give consumers more choices beyond foreign oil. She is the author of the Charging America Forward Act to help put more advanced technology, highly fuel efficient vehicles on the road. Her bill provides a $7,500 consumer rebate for purchasing electric vehicles. It also extends medium and heavy-duty truck tax credits, and reauthorizes the advanced battery manufacturing program-a program that has already dramatically increased advanced battery production in the U.S., creating jobs here in Michigan.

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