Mark Dayton: “Almost 7 weeks later, I have not received even the courtesy of a reply from the U.S. Attorney General. More importantly…”

“Almost 7 weeks later, I have not received even the courtesy of a reply from the U.S. Attorney General. More importantly, I am not aware of anything that he has done to investigate collusion among the oil companies, the refiners, and the gasoline distributors whose post-Hurricane Katrina price escalations parallel one another. Gasoline prices nationwide are 36 percent higher than 1 year ago. Natural gas prices are 145 percent higher. That means that current natural gas prices are almost 2\1/2\ times what they were a year ago. The price of home heating oil in my home State of Minnesota now is 63 percent above a year ago. Americans everywhere are being ravaged economically by energy companies, as the citizens in Louisiana and Mississippi were ravaged by Katrina--although, obviously, their physical and economic devastation was even worse. While we have properly come to the aid of hurricane victims, Congress has done nothing to help the victims of this energy price disaster. Apparently, the Bush administration has failed them, also. My amendment is an opportunity to do something to stop energy price exploitation, to make price gouging as illegal as it is immoral. Actions speak louder than words. Now is the time to act against exorbitant energy prices, not just talk about them. The vote on my amendment will show who is serious about driving energy costs down for all Americans, and who is not. Exhibit 1 September 6, 2005. Hon. Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General, U.S.…”