Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, for nearly 20 weeks this Chamber has been discussing ways to reduce our Nation's deficit, debating the merits of cutting one program or another, most times including important initiatives like job training funds, education, and health-related services. The fact of the matter is that we have to cut spending. The issue is not whether to reduce the deficit, but how we do it. If we really want to get serious about the deficit, we would stop handing out billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to big oil companies which price gouge at the pumps. Oil company profits are at a record high, and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are using high gas prices as an excuse to keep giving them billions in taxpayer handouts. Taxpayer-funded giveaways for big oil add to the deficit. My constituents gain nothing at the pumps, nor do Americans all across this country. Instead, we should be focusing on measures that would actually bring down the price of gas at the pump. It is time to bring to the House floor measures which would release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and legislation aimed at preventing big oil from engaging in price gouging schemes which drive up the price of oil. These measures could provide immediate relief to our constituents from the rising price of gasoline that truly threatens our economic recovery and the well-being of hardworking middle class families. ____________________”