Bond Criticizes Democrats for Failing to Deliver on Promise to Lower Gas Prices
Gas Prices Continue to Soar, Hurt Struggling Families
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today criticized the Democratic leadership in Congress for failing to deliver on their promise to lower gas prices. With $3.53 a gallon as the national average, gas prices have risen $1.20 since Democrats took control of the House and Senate and are expected to go even higher this summer.
“Two years ago Democrats promised Americans a ‘common sense’ plan to bring down gas prices. With higher housing, food, health care, and power bills, where is the plan to lower gas prices and help working families? With record high gas prices, it’s clear we’re still waiting for the ‘common sense’ part of the solution.”
Two years ago today, on April 24, 2006, then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced that ‘Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices.’ Pelosi told the American people that if they put Democrats in charge of the House and Senate, we would all see lower gas prices. Then-Senate Minority Leader, the Senior Senator from Nevada, followed up on the same day, stating that lowering gas prices was just ‘about priorities.’
Despite these election-year promises, the only change has been more pain at the pump for families, noted Bond. Since Democrats have come to power in the House and Senate, gas prices have increased by 50 percent. Americans who paid on average $2.33 a gallon on January 4, 2007, now pay $3.53 a gallon on average.
Bond stressed that the Democrats’ failure to address gas prices is hurting hard working families. Bond pointed to seniors on fixed incomes, low-income working families with commutes, and truckers struggling with even higher diesel prices — at $4.20 a gallon, diesel prices are 40 percent higher now then they were a year ago.
Democratic proposals to raise taxes will neither lower prices nor increase supply, criticized Bond. To provide relief to struggling families now we must first increase supply by opening up the oil and gas reserves here at home and off our shores in the deep sea, pursue nuclear power, and develop clean coal technology.
Bond emphasized the United States must also invest in long-term solutions. Congress must adopt aggressive but achievable auto fuel efficiency increases; incentive low-emissions vehicles like hybrids and plug-ins; and invest in renewable fuels sources like switch grass, cellulosic ethanol and biomass.
