Angie Craig: “I have spoken in the last 3 days about the current price crisis this country is experiencing with the critical resource…”

“I have spoken in the last 3 days about the current price crisis this country is experiencing with the critical resource energy. The American consumer is going to the pump in their local community today to refuel their car and paying record high prices; in fact, the highest ever recorded on average in our history. I would hope they are beginning to ask the question why, why is this happening and why am I having to pay another $5 or $6 per tank of gas, an average of maybe $15 or $20 or $30 a month more. In fact, I and the chairman of the Energy Committee, Pete Domenici, and others, held a press conference to speak to the issue of energy and why the Senate was not yet debating a comprehensive energy bill that is ready for us to debate once again and vote on. At that time I mentioned the average consumer today will pay, as an individual, $300 or $400 more a year for the price of energy, and collectively, as a family, they may well pay more than that. When you consider their electrical bills and space heater bills, the average family is going to pay considerably more this year. That is money that won't come as a result of having a pay raise and, therefore, having the money to offset those costs. Those are dollars and cents that are going to come directly out of the family budget this year.”