Oil Prices: Who's to Blame?

U.S. Senate Floor Journal, Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), posted June 6, 2008

An email has been circulating that contains some of the floor charts Sen. Craig has used in his addresss to congress. Sen. Craig aggressively opposes the Climate Security Act. He champions drilling in ANWAR and the outer-continental shelf while supporting 'responsible' conservation efforts, realistic forest management and so forth until new technologies ease our energy needs for oil. He blasts Congress for caving to the pressures of environmentalists and their unrealistic demands for the past 30 years. Watch Sen. Craig’s floor speech (four-part streaming video):

• Part 1: Who Should You Blame? (2:36)
• Part 2: Blame Your Congressman (1:05). Transcript: America, blame your congress. Blame your friendly congressman or friendly senator. Ask them how they voted. Ask them how they’re going to vote on ANWAR, on outer continental shelf, on new development or on new refinery capacity. Oil is not the answer for 50 years from now but oil is the bridge that gets us from where we are to where we need to be with new technology. But our lack of foresightedness, our rush to be green, our rush to deny the realities of the marketplace have produced the problems we have today. And there are people to blame. And we ought to start right here with a congress that would not listen year after year, year after year while I and others brought ANWAR to the floor for a vote, while we tried to get into the outer continental shelf and politically, it was simply an unpopular th... [end of stream]
  
• Part 3: The China-India Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 (2:27)
  
• Part 4: The Second Largest Emitter of Carbon (2:30)

Senate to raise energy prices?

Update: NO VOTE TAKEN
Freedom's Watch, June 5, 2008 - By Joe Eule, Chief of Staff

At $4 a gallon, Americans are hurting at the gas pump. Higher gas prices are affecting every part of our life. We’re paying more for food, milk, clothes, and cooling our homes. Even summer vacations are in jeopardy.

Yet the Senate is about to vote on a bill (S. 2191) that would make things worse by raising gas prices, increasing home energy bills, and slowing the economy, and we need your help to stop it. Send an email to your Senators and sign our petition today!

Sponsors say their bill will reduce the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. They call their plan "cap and trade," but it is really a huge hidden carbon tax on our economy that will have devastating consequences.

This bill could not come at a worse time. Last week General Motors announced it was closing four plants, putting nearly 5,000 Americans out of work. Thousands more in supporting industries will also lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, United Airlines announced it was slashing 1,600 jobs, idling older planes, and cutting routes - all because of skyrocketing gas prices.

Is your job next?
Incredibly, the bill before the Senate is estimated to raise the price of gasoline $1.10 a gallon, raise taxes, and increase your home energy bills (to find out what these higher costs will be where you live, click here).

This bill is so bad the Wall Street Journal called it “the largest income redistribution scheme since the income tax.” That’s saying something.

So please help us stop this bill from becoming law. First, click here to send your senators an email opposing S. 2191. Second, sign our petition opposing this bill that we can deliver to the Senate on your behalf.

With your help, we can stop this liberal assault on the paycheck you work so hard to earn. Please act NOW!