Roy Blunt: “after some late nights and a lot of hard work, I am pleased we have a conference report on the energy bill today. The…”

“after some late nights and a lot of hard work, I am pleased we have a conference report on the energy bill today. The House of Representatives has passed energy legislation five times, only to have the bills die. Keeping the lights on should not be a partisan issue. Filling up a gas tank should not be a partisan issue. Today we are finally voting to send this comprehensive plan to the President's desk. With gas prices soaring, I want to thank Chairman Joe Barton for his hard work on this much needed legislation and for working with me to include a provision in this bill to curb the production of boutique fuel blends and address this issue head-on. The current gasoline supply includes specially formulated boutique fuels which are required by law in certain communities. When supplies are limited, gas prices rise quickly--sometimes overnight. For example: Missourians can fill their gas tanks up in Springfield and drive 3\1/2\ hours to St. Louis. When they get there, they'll be filling their tanks up with a completely different type of gasoline. But if St. Louis ever runs short on their boutique fuel, gas stations there can't sell what consumers could buy back in Springfield. This conference report caps the number of these special fuel blends and allows communities faced with a shortage due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a refinery fire, a waiver to use conventional gasoline.…”