Frank Lucas: “due to higher fuel costs, the two largest utility companies in Oklahoma recently announced a monthly rate increase of…”

“due to higher fuel costs, the two largest utility companies in Oklahoma recently announced a monthly rate increase of $16 on average, with more increases expected this fall. This is just the latest example of how the pain at the pump is spreading to the other necessities of life. This added expense for fuel in business is being passed along to consumers, who are now being hit with a double dose of soaring prices. However, when given the opportunity to pass meaningful energy legislation, this majority has chosen to introduce the 'Bus Fares for Bureaucrats' bill, which will spend $1.7 billion in tax revenues to reduce fares in public transportation systems. While I'm sure this will benefit the bureaucrats in D.C. who write these laws, I'm more concerned about the farmers in western Oklahoma, where there is no public transportation system to speak of. As of today, my constituents are paying upwards of $4 a gallon for gasoline to fill their cars and $4.66 a gallon for diesel to fill their tractors and trucks. Are we to tell them that they not only have to pay higher prices for gas and electricity but that now they have to subsidize people in big cities with the luxury of access to public transportation? As long as demand continues to rise, the price for oil will continue to climb without increasing supply.”