Political Quotes

On the recordMay 12, 2011
an issue is going to come up next week which is very important for every American family and business; that is, the issue of gasoline prices. I have been across my State, and as I mentioned on the floor earlier, my expert on gasoline prices is my wife. When I speak to her in the morning in Springfield, IL, she will tell me the latest in gasoline prices. Last week, it was $4.20 a gallon. I don't know what it is this week. But what she asks me is--as everyone in Illinois must ask--what are you going to do about it? It turns out we are going to do something. It may not have a direct impact on gas prices, but it certainly has a direct impact on our policy toward oil companies. You see, American families are being clobbered three times by high prices at gasoline stations: first, at the pump; second, when we give $4 billion in subsidies every year in the Tax Code to oil companies; and third, when we have to borrow the money from China to give to these oil companies and we end up paying interest to China--ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren. Paying three times for outrageous gasoline prices is an outrage itself. The big oil companies have made almost $1 trillion in profits over the last 10 years--over $35 billion in the first 3 months of this year. Some of these oil companies are breaking records on Wall Street for corporate profits.…
Said by
Dick Durbin
Democratic · Illinois
Source
govinfo.gov
May 12, 2011

Share

More from Dick Durbin

Aug 21, 2026

In the coming weeks, we remain committed to supporting our union members during this transition and working with Tyson to ensure that they have access to resources that support their return to work.

durbin.senate.gov
Aug 20, 2026

For all of these reasons, ATF should withdraw this rule.

durbin.senate.gov
Aug 18, 2026

That’s why we’ve had an ongoing battle here in Washington for years against the for-profit college and university industry.

durbin.senate.gov
Aug 17, 2026

Nominations hearings, like this one today, are an essential part of the Senate’s role in providing advice and consent on presidential nominees. This constitutional duty is a critical check on the Executive Branch. And it has never been…

durbin.senate.gov

Other voices in this conversation