Albio Sires: “record high gas prices are forcing most American families to make some tough decisions this summer. While prices remain…”

“record high gas prices are forcing most American families to make some tough decisions this summer. While prices remain around $4 a gallon, some families have to decide if they should take that planned summer vacation or not, while others are trying to determine what normal everyday drives can be eliminated because they simply cannot afford it. This Democratic Congress recognizes the financial hardship these record prices are creating for everyone. That is why we have passed seven bills in the last couple of months to help lower prices. We passed legislation in a strong, bipartisan fashion suspending sending more oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the end of the year, which will result in a 25 cents a gallon price reduction in July. We also passed legislation holding OPEC and big oil accountable for price fixing and cracking down on oil companies engaged in market manipulation. Mr. Speaker, as Americans face continued pain at the pump, we should work in a strong bipartisan fashion to pass commonsense legislation that provides some immediate relief.”