Nick Lampson: “I first want to thank the leadership of both Chairman Dingell and Ranking Member Barton on what is being done and has…”

“I first want to thank the leadership of both Chairman Dingell and Ranking Member Barton on what is being done and has been done for a long time with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in making sure that it stays strong and effective for us at a time that we do need it and will need it. And I think that if we keep cool heads and look for simple ways that we can reach and try to find commonsense solutions to some of the problems that we face, then we're going to have a good solution to those problems. And we are taking one step today. That's all. One of hopefully many to try to curb the price of gasoline for the American consumer and invest in alternative energy research to provide for the long-term energy solutions that we're going to need. Many of these things are going to be required for us to get the price of gasoline down to the point where we're going to be comfortable again, and let's hope that we accomplish it. This bill directs the President to suspend shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve through the end of the year or until prices drop below $75 a barrel. High oil prices are straining family budgets at the pump, and we know that they're driving prices up on groceries and other household goods.”