Richard Gephardt: “I rise to ask Members to oppose the previous question and rule so that we can give people immediate relief with their…”

“I rise to ask Members to oppose the previous question and rule so that we can give people immediate relief with their energy needs. Today, we have an opportunity to do something to help millions of Americans. We should vote to put temporary caps on wholesale electric prices in the western United States and take a commonsense step to give consumers substantial help with low-income energy assistance. Unfortunately, the Republican majority has been unwilling to take real action on this critical issue. They continue to ignore people's real needs and today will not even let us take a vote on one of the most compelling problems facing America. In San Francisco last month, one small business owner lost between $3,000 and $4,000 in 1 hour during a rolling blackout. This bill does nothing for him. Thousands of people are on life support machines on the west coast. This bill does nothing for them. Millions of people are paying through the nose for a commodity that is like air and water in their lives. This bill does nothing for them. A large percentage of small businesses in the San Diego area are at or near bankruptcy. This bill does nothing for them. Thousands of families in California and the west coast have seen their residential energy prices go up twice, three times, five times, in some cases 10 times. This bill does nothing for them. We have an emergency in our country. Yet the Republican leadership treats it as if it does not exist.”