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Virginia’s families are feeling the pinch of rising gas prices and recent talk of $4 a gallon prices are of great concern to me.  I believe immediate action needs to be taken to address this issue.  Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress have failed to show leadership.

Two years ago Nancy Pelosi and Democrat candidates across the country promised the American people that they had a plan to reduce gas prices and it would be their top priority.

• “Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices…” - Nancy Pelosi (D-CA):  Release, 4/18/06)

• “Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices….“  - Nancy Pelosi (Release, 4/24/06)

• “Democrats believe that we can do more for the American people who are struggling to deal with high gas prices.…” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD):  (Release, 10/4/05)

• “House Democrats have a plan to help curb rising gas prices.” - Democrat Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC):  (Online Town Hall Meeting, 7/26/06)

On January 4, 2007 when Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker, the national average for a gallon of gas was $2.33.  Today, according to AAA, the national average is $3.831 a gallon.  That’s a 60% increase!  Americans can’t afford the Pelosi Premium.

While gas prices have continued to climb, the Democrats continue to just talk about solving the problem.  The American people deserve leadership that will follow through on their promises.  Watch this video to learn more.

The only idea Democrats have offered is to increase taxes on American energy producers which will send good-paying jobs overseas and further increase our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.  Even more shocking, the legislation Democrats passed that would increase taxes on American energy producers, exempted Venezuelan oil giant, CITGO, just as Venezuela’s dictator Hugo Chavez is threatening to cut off energy supplies to the U.S.

Abundant and affordable energy and energy conservation are the keys to a strong economy.  Until alternative fuel technology becomes more affordable and convenient, our cars, our jobs, and our economic growth will run on traditional energy sources, like oil, natural gas and clean burning coal.  We should encourage environmentally sound ways to find and use more of these resources in our own country. We must diversify our energy supplies with alternative fuels, including renewable energy from our farms and forests but we must do so without the government mandates and subsidies that are driving the cost of food and animal feed up as we produce more and more ethanol from corn.  We should develop a renewable policy where the government incentivizes the development of new technologies but does not mandate the use of any particular fuel, like corn-based ethanol, which drives up costs for consumers.

For several years now I have called on President Bush to stop pumping oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve so that more gas could remain on the market and available to American families.  Over 65 Members of Congress have joined me in this effort and I am pleased that this action is finally being taken.  While this will increase the amount of gas available, we need long term solutions to our energy needs.  I believe that the Democrats in Congress must join with Republicans in bringing ANWR online, authorize development of our deep ocean oil resources, and remove the restrictions for commercial oil shale leases on federal properties. We need to look for long term solutions, something the Democrats in Congress do not appear to understand or want to do.

- Bob