Haley Stevens: “as Americans travel with families over the Fourth of July and for summer vacations--on cruises, RV trips, or on…”

“as Americans travel with families over the Fourth of July and for summer vacations--on cruises, RV trips, or on sightseeing tours, to Alaska, hopefully--they are going to be shocked by the price of fuel at the pump. This is because the consumers of fuel--from airlines to truckers to the fishing captains of the boats off the Pacific in my State--must in effect bid against speculators in the oil markets, speculators who will never take delivery of fuel but bid up the price and turn it into an inflated profit. Some people will be forced to cancel summer plans--or worse, close their businesses-- primarily because fuel costs have increased so much. Today, the average price of a gallon of gas is $4.08. In some parts of our State of Alaska, the price of a gallon of gas is over $8. I believe Congress must take action now to address this issue before Americans can no longer afford even basic activities and the goods they need. Most foreign producers believe Americans will pay any price for oil, and Congress validates this each day we fail to implement a comprehensive energy strategy.”