Kay Bailey Hutchison: “First is Citizens Against Government Waste. In part, they write: On behalf of the 600,000 members of the Council for…”

“First is Citizens Against Government Waste. In part, they write: On behalf of the 600,000 members of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, we respectfully ask you to oppose any efforts in the Senate to strike the provision in the Interior Appropriations Bill that delays the implementation of a final crude oil valuation rule, unless a resolution between MMS and industry can be reached. The Minerals Management Service proposed new oil valuation rules that would eventually raise taxes on producers. They go on to say: Passage of this provision in the Interior Appropriations Bill will provide the time necessary for MMS and the industry to reach a fair and workable agreement on the rule, benefiting both sides. Here is a letter from the Citizens for a Sound Economy: I write on behalf of the 250,000 members of Citizens for a Sound Economy regarding the Boxer amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill. . . . Historically, the cost of this type regulation is passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices for commodities. Of course, it makes sense that if we are going to raise the rates that producers have to pay, it is going to raise the price of every gallon of gas that you buy at the pump. Specifically, the Boxer amendment circumvents the authority of Congress to ensure that agencies of the Federal Government operate within the bounds of the law, and it will have the ultimate effect of increasing the cost of oil and gas for every American.”