John Cornyn: “I don't blame the American people for being upset at the price of gasoline they have to pay at the pump. Frankly, the…”

“I don't blame the American people for being upset at the price of gasoline they have to pay at the pump. Frankly, the biggest cause of those high prices is the Congress. It has been 2 years since Speaker Pelosi said that her party, the Democratic Party, had a commonsense plan to bring down prices at the pump. I am left to wonder how long we will have to wait to hear what that commonsense plan is. So far, all we have heard is an escalation of the blame game, which, of course, here in Washington, DC, inside the beltway, is a world-class sport. The problem with the blame game is it doesn't actually solve any problems. I think what the American people are frustrated about, among other things, is Congress's intransigence, its unresponsiveness, and its unwillingness to listen to their concerns--legitimate concerns--about how they are going to balance their family budget, particularly when it comes to the rising cost of gasoline and the rising cost of health care. As my colleagues can see, in the 2 years that have gone by--in almost 2 years--we have gone from $2.33 for an average price for a gallon of gas to $3.61. That translates for an average family to about a $1,400 increase in expenses a year associated with their gasoline costs-- $1,400 a year. So the Federal Government has essentially imposed an additional tax by its inaction on the average working family in this country.”