Floor Statements

Thank you, Mr. Garrett. This has something to do with the Constitution, something to do with what the intent of our Founding Fathers was. I don't think that they had in mind Senate bill 2739 which just passed the House with 117 dissenting votes and they must have had right at 300 who voted for it. It was an omnibus bill that included 61 distinct pieces of legislation, 61, at a cost of $380 million. Sixty-one bills rolled into one, $380 million, 20 minutes debate, voted under suspension.

That has got to make Americans proud, Madam Speaker. It has got to make our Founding Fathers roll over in their graves.

But the part that really bothered me the most, because I talked earlier about the price of gas and what the majority party's commonsense plan to lower those gas prices was. And I look at this bill, Senate bill 2739 permanently blocks exploration for natural energy resources on millions of acres of Federal land at a time when this country and our entire economy is suffering as a result of these record high energy prices. But yet we permanently block exploration of natural gas.

Also, you know, we only own 670 million acres. You know, Congressman Garrett, I don't know what the Founding Fathers had in mind with the Constitution, but I think if they had really figured that the Federal Government would own 670 million acres, they may have put that in there somewhere.

One thing they did put in the Constitution was about private property rights. The natural heritage area designations included in this bill restrict, and I think the Constitution talks about this somewhere, restricts how residential and commercial property owners utilize their private property without any notice or warning.

It also kicked out and stripped out some amendments put in by the House that would have protected the second amendment, and I believe that may be in the Constitution, it is talked about somewhere, the second amendment. So the right to bear arms and property rights in these natural heritage areas were stripped out of this bill.

What breaks my heart even more is that the minority party, who has been standing up here complaining about our energy cost, all we had to get was about 28 more votes and this bill would have had to come under regular order where we could have stood on this floor in front of the American people, Madam Speaker, and debated this bill. But we could not muster 145 votes out of the 199 Members that we have in the Republican conference. That's embarrassing to me. That is just as hard for me to understand and to go home and try to explain to my constituents when I am standing up here night after night arguing about oil and gas prices and the price of energy and what little pitiful bit the majority is doing when my party won't support doing something to make some real change in what we are paying at the pump.

Mr. Garrett, I want to thank you for doing this special order on the Constitution, and I hope that you will bring up the private property rights, the second amendment, the fact that we can pass legislation $380 million worth, 61 different bills rolled into one under suspension with 20 minutes of debate.

Like I said, Madam Speaker, I know that makes America proud.

I want to read an editorial to the American people, Mr. Speaker, that was printed yesterday in Investors Business Daily:

``Oil Shock.

``When it comes to energy policy, Democrats always talk a good game. But look at their actual record while in control of Congress in the last year and a half. It's been nothing short of disastrous.

``Wasn't it 2 years ago that then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi vowed, if the party took over Congress, to cut energy prices, especially gasoline?

`` `Democrats have a commonsense plan,' Ms. Pelosi went on to say, `to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to the big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels.'

``This is what Ms. Pelosi wrote in April of 2006 as part of her efforts to convince the American people to elect Democrats.

``How's that working for you? The cost of energy, measured by the price of West Texas Intermediate Crude is up more than 70 percent.''

On 12/19/07 President Bush signed into law H.R. 6, which was the plan. It's not working.

We want to see the real plan, Ms. Pelosi.

Mr. Speaker, I want to read a few floor comments, if I could.

This one is made July 28, 2005, in a floor statement by Congressman Jim McDermott:

``Republicans have written a bill that favors corporate America over mainstream America. Sixty dollars for a barrel of oil that breaks the backs and the budgets of mainstream Americans is a scandal.''

Mr. Speaker, I wonder what Mr. McDermott thinks about $119 a barrel of oil.

Mr. Speaker, on April 20, 2005, in a floor statement, then minority leader Nancy Pelosi said this:

``The Republican energy bill is warmed-over stew of old provisions and outdated policies. Democrats have better ideas.''

Mr. Speaker, I challenge the Democrats to bring forth these better ideas because since the Democrats have taken control, gas prices are up over $1.25 a gallon.

Mr. Speaker, May 23, 2006, in a floor statement by Mr. Frank Pallone:

``As Americans prepare to travel this weekend for the Memorial Day holiday, they should know that Democrats are offering real solutions.''

Mr. Pallone, we need to see those solutions.

I want to thank my friend for yielding. And I want to thank the chairwoman, Ms. Velazquez, for the job that she has done and for what Ranking Member Chabot has done, and the true bipartisan work and the good things that we have been able to do in the committee this year for small business.

But while we're talking about that, you know, we need to talk about the one threat that all small business people have come up to me in the last couple of weeks to talk about, and that is the price of fuel. Madam Chairman, I want to tell you that some of them feel like they have been lied to or maybe misled, because in 2006, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a memo that said, ``To Assist the Candidates.'' ``Demonstrate your dedication to fighting for middle class families by clearly explaining how you will work to keep down the price of gas if elected to Congress. Hold an event at a gas station or other logical locations where you call for a real commitment to bringing down gas prices, and pledge that as a Member of Congress you will fight for families in your district, not for oil and gas executives that the Republican Congress has fought for.'' And so they went out.

And maybe some people were misled because if you look at April 11, 2006, one of the candidates, Jason Altmire, who is on our committee, had a campaign that said, ``rising fuel costs'' that got Jason Altmire, the Democratic nominee for the Fourth Congressional District, calling for alternative fuel sources. ``Altmire made four stops Thursday in the district at gas stations all at prices for regular unleaded teetering at around $3 per gallon. The Democrat blames his opponent and President Bush for the rising fuel costs.'' The price for a barrel of fuel at this time, a barrel of oil is $57. You know, it's $119 today.

Small business people have been misled to think that the new majority was going to do something about fuel costs. It's time we have a public outcry that we do do something. If this secret plan is released, if the Pelosi premium is brought down, gas prices are at a record at this time of $3.50 a gallon.

I think that small businesses deserve an answer. I think they deserve to see what this program is. I think they deserve to see what this plan is, what they were promised.

The fact that gas at the time that they were told this was $2.06 a gallon, oil was at $76 a barrel, today oil is at $119 a barrel, average price of gas is $3.50, they've been misled. And so what we want to do is see that commonsense plan brought to the floor, laid out, that we can all look at and maybe we can work towards.

And it's not just raising taxes, it's not buying or riding bicycles, it's not windmills, it's not solar panels, it's got to be less dependence on foreign oil. And we can only do that by using our natural resources to provide energy for this country.

Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, is it not true that if indeed this motion to recommit passed, that this bill could be referred back to the two committees from which it came and that it could be back on this floor as soon as tomorrow?

I thank the Chair.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dawn Dallaire from Georgia's 3rd Congressional District, the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2008 Small Business Person of the Year for Georgia.

Just five years ago, Dallaire started a specialty-soap business in the garage of her Fayetteville home and produced $47,000 in revenues. Today, her business, Clearly Fun Soap, has created local jobs and projects annual revenues to reach near $3 million.

Like many inventors, Dallaire didn't start out intending to become CEO of a company: she was simply making gifts for friends. She perfected her ``goldfish in a bag''--which has become her signature product in the U.S. gift market--and then branched out with new designs.

Dallaire's fortunes took a fateful turn when she took her soap products to a gift show in Florida. There, she took $5,000 worth of orders and happy customers started coming back.

By 2005, Dallaire's soap business had bubbled beyond the garage. With the help of a Small Business Administration Community Express Loan, she opened a 5,000-square-foot facility in Griffin, another city in the 3rd District. But the growth continued. Two years later, Clearly Fun Soap upgraded to a 10,000-square-foot facility with 15 full-time employees, with up to 35 part-time employees.

Clearly Fun Soap now dots the shelves at Bath & Body Works. Linens N Things, Marshall's and TJ Maxx with accounts pending at other major retailers. Soon, Dallaire will publish her book ``Being a Woman in Business in a Man's World'' which chronicles both her business and personal accomplishments--including losing 120 pounds.

Our small businesses are the economic engine of our economy and they create over 75 percent of new jobs. Small business people such as Dallaire are helping others as they help themselves. I want to congratulate Dawn Dallaire on this distinguished award. It's truly a great honor that reflects her truly great accomplishments. Georgia's 3rd District is proud to call her one of our own.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the House of Representatives, I again congratulate Dawn Dallaire, the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year for 2008, and wish her and Clearly Fun Soap continued success at ``cleaning up.''

Madam Speaker, April 28, 2006, a press release by Anita Lowe: These skyrocketing gas prices are a reflection of the Republican energy plan. We need a long-term strategy to lower gas prices and meet our energy needs. Yet Republicans passed up a golden opportunity in major energy bills last year. Democrats have a plan to give American families the relief they deserve. Democrats, Madam Speaker, have been in charge for 16 months and gas prices have gone up over $1.25 a gallon.

April 18, 2006, in a press release, then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: But

the Republicans' bills clearly have done nothing to lower gas prices as the price of a barrel of oil has settled above $70 a barrel, the highest price in our history.

Today, Madam Speaker, oil closed at $114 a barrel. Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices taking America in a new direction. We're ready to see this new plan. I don't understand why the Democratic leadership won't bring out the new plan, why there is not an outcry from their membership to see the new plan.

Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

I too want to thank the gentlelady for this commonsense amendment. I think it does put the responsibility, at least partially, back on those local governments to control themselves. But it is for the same reason that the gentleman from New Jersey got up. My constituents also are concerned about the ability to go to the beaches. No matter how clean we can make them, if they can't get there, then they can't enjoy them.

And we had demonstrations the other day, Madam Chairman. We saw truckers driving around the Capitol, at least along the highway here, protesting the price of diesel fuel. And diesel is over $4 a gallon. And it's costing some of these truckers, independent businesspeople, over $1,000 to fill their trucks up.

And we've had some promises. And those seem to be empty promises that we've had. And I wanted to come today because, as you know, the average price of gas today is about $3.44 a gallon. The price of a barrel of oil is $114 a barrel. And I wanted to just kind of remind some people, maybe we have forgotten that we have had some promises made to the American people to really bring about some change in our government.

I want to read a press release that was dated September 21, 2005 by Speaker Pelosi. ``This is of the highest priority to our House Democratic Caucus because it is a high priority for America's working families. Some people have to work 2 more hours a day to cover the cost of gas that takes them to work, if they are making minimum wage.''

Well, we raised the minimum wage, but gas has gone up well over $1 a gallon since the Democrats took control and since Ms. Pelosi became Speaker.

September 28, 2005, another press release by the then-Minority Leader Pelosi, ``Democrats have been working for months to bring down the price of gas at the pump and home heating oil.''

Well, you've been in charge for 16 months, and I don't see what we have done to bring down the price of gas or the price of oil, except we have had some hearings where we question the heads of the oil companies about the profits they are making.

The point is, is that gas has gotten so high that the average person is now having to look at exactly where and what meets the best needs of their family, if they can go to the grocery store or not. That is a consideration that it seems like the Democratic leadership wanted to have for the working family. So why are we doing that? We are spending a lot of time on other issues. But we need to be working on this, something that affects the everyday person.

April 18, 2006, in another press release, Ms. Pelosi said: ``But the Republican bills clearly have done nothing to lower gas prices, as the price of a barrel of oil today has settled above $70 a barrel.'' Man, don't we wish for those days again? At the time it was the highest price in history.

Here is the quote that I think that we really need to get an answer to. ``Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices, taking America in a new direction.''

There is a new direction. And there is a song that goes with that direction. But I don't see a new direction. Or if we were going in a new direction, it's the wrong direction. Where is the Democratic plan for lower gas prices? Is it on the shelf somewhere? Are we saving it for a time when gas gets above $4 a gallon? Five dollars a gallon? What are we saving the plan for?

Let's bring the plan out tomorrow. Let's vote on it tomorrow. You can waive the rules. As we have seen in this Congress, we can change the rules at any time that it's convenient when we need it, and we really don't have to pay attention to the rules we adopted when you became the majority.

So why don't we bring out this plan? Why don't we have a plan that tomorrow we can tell the American people that the Democrats are going to finally unveil the plan?

Now the plan that we have heard so far from the Energy and Commerce chairman, Mr. Dingell, is to raise the price of the motor fuel tax 50 cents a gallon. That just doesn't sound like a good plan. One of the other plans that we had was to buy 30 bicycles at a cost of $30,000. I don't know that that's the plan that the American hardworking family is looking for. I mean, I live in Grantville, Georgia, and I would love to ride a bicycle to work, but that would take me quite a bit of time. I don't know. It might take 24 hours for me to ride a bicycle to work. But I don't know how families are going to ride bicycles to work to get groceries, or to go to the store, or whatever they have to do. Riding bicycles to me is just not that new plan.

Now if that is the Democrats' plan, then let's go ahead and unveil it and let the American people see it. I think they want to know what it is.

I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chairman, I need to continue with some of these quotes, because I think they are pretty interesting as to our energy policy that we have, I guess, or the lack of an energy policy that we have right now.

July 25, 2006, Mr. Hoyer, then the Democratic whip, says: ``Republicans' failure to craft a forward-looking strategy to deal with the rising costs of fuel over the last 5 years has helped ensure that my constituents would pay a very high price at the gasoline pump today and for at least the next several years.''

Well, I guess he is trying to make that statement come true, because it is continuing to rise over the next years. But it is not under our watch. So, Mr. Leader, I want to tell you that the ball is in your court. You didn't think that we could do a very good job with it. And I am reading these quotes. Evidently the now-Speaker didn't think we could do a very good job with it. So the ball is in your court, and I don't see the ball going anywhere except in the wrong direction. The price continues to go up, and I just think we need to see that secret plan that the Democrats have for bringing down our gas prices.

August 16, 2005, a press release by Ms. Wasserman Schultz: ``The unacceptable rise that we have seen in gasoline prices over the past year can be linked in part to the lack of consumer-oriented energy policy in this country. Gas prices have remained at record levels for about 4 months at $2.25 per gallon nationwide.''

Well, I don't know if I am the one that is going to break the news, but right now gas is at $3.44. And this lack of policy that evidently was in effect when gas was only $2.55 a gallon, where is your policy? I challenge you, where is the policy that you had that was supposed to bring these gas prices down that you continually talk about. If you

could just get a chance to get your hands on the ball, that you could score. You could score for the American people and you could get gas prices down. You have got your opportunity. You have had your opportunity for 16 months.

September 29, 2005, in a letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Tanner said, ``Gas prices in Tennessee and the rest of the country have literally skyrocketed. Our ever-growing dependence on foreign oil only guarantees that we will have to continue dealing with potentially unfriendly countries.''

News flash, Mr. Tanner and Madam Chairman: I would like to say that there they are still skyrocketing, and we are still more dependent now on foreign oil than ever before, because the majority does not want us having domestic production. They don't want us drilling in our own territory, on our own Outer Shelf or in Alaska, anywhere, really, to get more dependent on our own oil and our own energy. They decided that riding bicycles was the way to go.

September 9, 2005, a press release, Marion Berry: ``We can barely afford to fill our gas tanks to get to and from work each day, and our farmers are spending everything they have on diesel fuel just to keep their crops alive. These people deserve some answers and a fair price for their gasoline.''

You know, Mr. Berry, I couldn't agree with you more. You made that statement not quite 3 years ago. Where is your answer? You have been in the majority party for the last 16 months, and I don't see any answers to the questions and the comments and the concerns that you brought up for your constituents or these farmers that were spending way too much money then when gas was $2.50 a gallon.

May 22, 2005, in a press release by Mr. Pallone: ``Republicans chose to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Earth Day by approving an energy bill yesterday that raises gas prices. The average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey has increased 40 cents, from $1.66 to $2.06.''

I wish we were back to those $2.06 days, don't you? And I don't know what we are going to do to celebrate Earth Day today, but gas, Mr. Pallone, is at $3.44. So the celebration won't be near as sweet because of the promises that you made to the American people that you were going to bring gas prices down, and they continue to go up.

Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chairman, I wanted to continue on to read some of these quotes about the outrage that the majority party had about the prices of gas and oil, and now, as to the outrage of the American people because evidently they felt like there could be a change and that there could be some solution to the price of higher fuel.

On September 9 of 2005 there was a press release sent out by Mr. Doyle that said, ``Supply and demand can't account for the spike in gas prices we've seen.'' ``Americans want and deserve stable, affordable gas prices.''

I agree, they do. There have been some broken promises given to the American people about who could produce, because at the time this press release was written, gas was about $2.25 a gallon. It's $3.44 a gallon now.

The party of Mr. Doyle has been in charge for 16 months. Where is that accountability? Where is the stable, affordable gas prices that Mr. Doyle said the American people deserved?

We haven't seen them. They are in that secret plan that we are waiting to see unveiled.

June 7, 2006, press release by Mr. DeFazio, ``Americans deserve an effective, comprehensive solution to the problem of high gas prices and growing dependence on foreign oil. Unfortunately, all they get out of this Republican Congress is a lot of hot air.''

Well, Mr. DeFazio, I think there's enough hot air to go around because evidently this press release was a lot of hot air.

Gas prices have done nothing but go up. The majority has changed. There is a new sheriff in town, so to speak, that I have heard when this takeover took place, but what is the sheriff doing?

The sheriff must have lost his gun or something, because, Madam Chairman, there has been no action. There has been nothing. We have discussed a lot of things on this floor, but I don't think there has been anything about higher gas prices.

July 13, 2006, a press release by Rosa DeLauro: ``The Bush administration and congressional Republicans have failed to bring up comprehensive energy reform, or any piece of legislation, for that matter, that would lower gas prices.''

Well, here it is 2 years later, and I haven't seen anything from the new majority that does anything to lower gas prices or, to quote her, ``or anything else.''

It goes on, ``Addressing these gas prices should be a priority for the congressional Republicans. I urge the Republican leadership to take action to reduce gas prices for consumers.''

I want to do the same thing. I want to encourage the congressional Democrats, Madam Chairman, to do something about gas prices and oil prices. I want to see the magic plan.

April 8, 2005, a press release by Ms. DeGette: ``Thanks to the shortsighted policies of the Republican Congress, our economy and the budgets of all Coloradoans are being hurt by skyrocketing gas prices. In Colorado, gas is up to $2.15 a gallon.'' Man, don't we wish we had those days when Republicans were in charge and gas was $2.15. Democrats have been in charge for 16 months, and it is $3.44 a gallon.

May 14, 2004, a press release by Mr. Etheridge: ``Gas prices in North Carolina and throughout the Nation are at record high levels.

``A major reason for these prices is the high price of crude oil, which has reached $40 a barrel.''

Man, don't we wish we had $40 a barrel back.

``We need immediate action to lower gas prices.''

Where is the outrage from these people that I am reading quotes from today demanding lower gas prices? I can't hear them. I haven't heard them. I haven't even seen them.

April 27, 2006, a press release from Ms. Herseth: ``We have heard strong words this week about rising gas prices, but words are not enough. Families across America are struggling to fill their gas tanks. They deserve answers and concrete actions, not just lip service.''

Lip service, that's what we've got.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to read to you, Mr. Speaker, a memo from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that was sent out in 2006. This was sent out to the Democratic candidates, and it was obtained by the Chicago Tribune.

``Demonstrate your dedication for fighting for middle-class families by clearly explaining how you will work to keep down the price of gas if elected to Congress. Hold an event at a gas station or other logical locations where you will call for real commitment to bringing down gas prices and pledge that, as a Member of Congress, you will fight for families in your district, not the oil and gas executives for which

this Republican Congress has fought so hard.''

Now those are some pretty interesting comments coming from the DCCC. On May 10, 2006, Baron Hill said this: ``In Congress, I will support measures that will strengthen our economy and lower gas prices instead of rewarding big oil companies and special interest lobbies.''

Mr. Speaker, once Mr. Hill got elected to Congress and voted to raise taxes on the American energy producers, he was somehow shocked when higher taxes resulted in higher gas prices.

March 12, 2007, in a press release Mr. Hill said, ``Gasoline prices have increased significantly over the past few weeks, with little explanation for higher prices.'' The explanation for higher prices is because of higher taxes.

Mr. Joe Donnelly in a July 3, 2006, interview: ``I will be an independent voice who will represent the people of the second district. Not the wealthy oil and pharmaceutical companies that have bought our Congress and are running our country. We need leaders who will stand up for good jobs, a better prescription drug plan for our seniors, and a real energy plan that will work to drive down skyrocketing gas prices.''

Mr. Donnelly, I'm sure your constituents and the people of this country are waiting for that energy to go forth in some results.

April 26, 2006, press release by Mr. Ed Markey: ``Congress once again has an opportunity to help the American people through this financial pinch.'' Keep in mind, the Republicans were in charge and the Democrats were trying to win votes, Mr. Speaker.

``But by ignoring legislation like the Windfall Profits and Consumer Assistance Act, Congress has shown, once again, that it would rather put the needs of the special interests ahead of the needs of the American people. There is a cost to this kind of corruption in Washington, and it's at $75 a barrel and climbing.''

Mr. Markey, the price today is $113 a barrel, and you have not reintroduced your Windfall Profits and Consumer Assistance Act to Congress.

But what have we done? I tell you what we have done. The chairman of Energy and Commerce has got a solution: raise gasoline tax by 50 cents a gallon. I don't think that's what the American people had in mind.

July 26, 2006, in a town hall meeting, Jim Clyburn, who is now the majority whip, says this: ``Thomas from Orangeburg asks: What are you doing about gas prices? They're ridiculously high.'' Mr. Clyburn answered, ``House Democrats have a plan to help curb rising gas prices. We have outlined our plan in a proposal called Energizing America. I join my fellow Democrats in believing that drilling for more oil is not a long-term solution to our Nation's energy crisis.''

What is it? Buying bicycles? The Pelosi plan? Thirty bicycles for $30,000? Raising taxes? Fifty cents a gallon by the chairman of Energy and Commerce proposal? Five cents a gallon by the chairman of Transportation? A dollar a barrel of oil from the chairman of Transportation? Those are some great ideas.

April 27, 2006, when gas was $2.91 a gallon, and I will remind you that it's $3.44 today, a letter to Speaker Hastert signed by 88 Democratic Members of Congress, they said this: ``Just this week, the price for oil increased to over $70 a barrel.'' Don't we yearn for those days of $70 a barrel when it's $113 today?

We believe Congress has an obligation to determine the underlying causes behind the skyrocketing prices. Congress has an obligation to take action on behalf of the consumer. Where is the action?

All bark, no bite.

Madam Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Madam Speaker, is it not true that you are the deliberator and the decider of rules in this House?

Madam Speaker, further parliamentary inquiry. Is it not the job of the Speaker to interpret the rules of this House?

Madam Speaker, is it not true that under rule XX of this House, that it says that no votes will be kept open to change the outcome of that vote; is that true?

Madam Speaker, further parliamentary inquiry.

Madam Speaker, as a parliamentary inquiry, and I beg your pardon, but I don't believe this is a hard question to answer.

The parliamentary inquiry, Madam Speaker, is this: Is the Speaker the deliberator and the decider if the rules of this House are being followed?

Ma'am, I don't know how else to put it other than maybe a point of order.

The point of order is: Is the Speaker of this House the deliberator and the decider if the rules of this House are being followed?

The point of order is: Is it the Chair's responsibility to rule on a point of order?

Madam Speaker, I make a point of order that the electronic vote just completed violated clause 2(a) of rule XX which provides in part ``a recorded vote by electronic device shall not be held open for the sole purpose of reversing the outcome of such vote.''

Madam, I am raising that point.

Madam Chairman, I wanted to read some quotes. This is a quote from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 4/24/06: ``Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices.''

Another quote from Majority Leader Hoyer: ``Democrats believe that we can do more for the American people who are struggling to deal with high gas prices.'' This was 10/4/05.

On 7/26/06, Mr. Jim Clyburn, the Democratic Whip, said, ``House Democrats have a plan to help curb rising gas prices.''

We need to see those plans. We need to hear what those ideas are.

April 16, 2006, press release, Speaker Pelosi:

``The Republican Rubber Stamp Congress has passed two energy bills, costing taxpayers $12 billion for giveaways to big oil companies. But the Republican bills clearly have done nothing to lower gas prices, as the price of a barrel of oil has sailed over $70 a barrel,'' and I believe it closed over $110 today, ``the highest price in our history.''

``Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices, taking America in a new direction that works for everyone, not just a few. Our plan would empower the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on price gouging, to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices, increase production of alternative fuels, and rescind the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to the big oil companies.''

Madam Chairman, I'll say that we have not had any relief from gas prices. Gas prices are a dollar a gallon more today than they were when the new majority took over.

We have paid too much attention to windmills, bicycles and solar panels. We need to pay attention to domestic drilling. We need to pay attention to promoting alternative fuels.

We have been going in the wrong direction. And if you ask the American people right now, 78 percent of the people say this country is headed in the wrong direction.

And, Madam Chairman, I promise you, our gas prices are heading the wrong direction.

Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chairman, you know, it's interesting that we came here to talk about a beach bill, and we're finally getting a chance to talk about some energy because most American families are not going to have the money to drive to the beach this year.

We look at the price of gasoline right now. And I earlier quoted some of the quotes from the Democratic leadership about how they were going to get a grip and get ahold of the gas prices and bring them down. Well, since they've been in the majority, they have actually gone up $1 per gallon, oil has gone up about 100 percent. And what are we

telling our people at home? I've got to go back and explain to the people of the Third District of Georgia that this week, rather than addressing the price of gas and our energy situation, that we did some beach restoration, which is a very worthy bill; we did some landscape conservation; we named some post offices; and we did some several other suspensions. But I've got to go back and tell them that, when they're standing there at the gas pump almost pumping $4 a gallon into their car, that they need to realize something, they need to realize what the majority plan for our future price of motor fuel is.

The chairman, who I have a great deal of respect for, on the Transportation Committee, Mr. Oberstar, who's been here a long time and is very wise, but he projected or at least proposed a 5 cents a gallon hike for our infrastructure and $1 per barrel on oil. The Energy and Commerce chairman is talking about a carbon tax. He's also talking about a 50 cent per gallon tax on fuel.

We're talking about taking away these tax breaks from Big Oil. You know, we can take away tax breaks from anybody, but I'm telling you, if you take a tax break away from a company that is manufacturing products in this country, they're not going to just absorb that loss, they're going to go up on the price of their product. So we're talking about maybe 55, 60 cents more a gallon.

So I've got to go back and tell my constituents, look, here's their plan: Their plan is to go up another 55 cents or so a gallon on your gas, another dollar on a barrel of oil, take away any tax breaks that the big oil companies have that hopefully they're passing on to you, and your Congress just spent $30,000 to buy 30 bicycles. So they've got a great plan.

And I guess this is the great plan that we've heard about in so many of these quotes about how they were going to fix the price of gas. We've bought 30 bicycles at a cost of $30,000; we're going to increase the price of gas 55 cents; we're going to take away the tax breaks for Big Oil so they can go up, increase the price on a barrel of oil. We're not going to do any domestic drilling. We're going to depend on changing light bulbs. We're going to depend on solar power. We're going to depend on windmills.

Now, Madam Chairman, I just don't know how much comfort that's going to give the people of the Third Congressional District of Georgia. In fact, I don't know that if I tell them that, that they're even going to believe that, that this body, this House, that is their answer to them paying $4 a gallon for gas. It's just going to be hard for me to sell it. But if they will pay attention to what's going on up here, then I think they'll be convinced that these are the only things that the majority has brought forth.

We need to concentrate on being less dependent on foreign oil. We need to look at our own future, our own lands, our own prospects of what we're doing. And as the gentleman from Alaska said, regardless of what you think about fossil fuels, we're going to be using it. And so we need to provide for ourselves.

And I think it's a shame that each and every one of us, and I know we're going to be through by 4 o'clock because, you know, we do need to get home, but we're not doing our job. We're not doing the business of the people when we constantly go home and people ask us, help us, help me, help me be able to put gas in my car to take my children to soccer practice, or go to school, or go to the beach.

So I'm going to go back and I'm going to say, I'll tell you what, we gave you some help. We're going to raise the price of gas and oil and we're buying bicycles.

Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chairman, I want to thank the chairman for bringing that up because I think every bill needs to be brought to the floor like this, an open rule, so we can have debate. This is a breath of fresh air to have an open rule. I can't remember the last time we had one. So this is a great thing that we have this. This is our republican action in letting people, our constituents, hear our different views on these bills rather than just having it jammed down our throats. So I agree with the chairman on this, and I hope more of these can be brought under an open rule.

Madam Chairman, I would like to yield to my good friend from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

And I want to thank the gentleman for bringing this amendment because a little ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And so I think what we are doing, like he said, is just making sure that we are perfectly clear to anybody on the conference committee, or any other process that this bill goes through, that we're not to air-drop these earmarks that we never get a chance to discuss. It is very seldom that we get to discuss anything on the floor in the manner that we are being able to talk about this beach restoration bill as we are today. And so I think it is a great thing that we are having this open discussion.

Again, I want to comment that I hope that one day my constituents from Georgia's Third Congressional District, which is not that far away from the beach, will be able to have the money that won't pinch their budget to be able to drive to the beach. Right now in Georgia you're paying $3.29 per gallon, which is $1 more a gallon than we paid when the 110th Congress started. And we had all the empty promises and the smoke-and-mirror gadgets that came from the majority that they were going to somehow, that they had some kind of miraculous plan to lower gas prices.

We have yet to see that plan. We've talked about raising the fuel tax. We've talked about raising the price of a barrel of oil. We've actually purchased bicycles. And we have done a lot of different things. But the price of gas and oil continues to go up.

We had a bailout that caused our dollar to deflate. And that, itself, probably caused the price of a barrel of oil to go up. So I am waiting on that magic wand. I am waiting on that secret that Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer and the whip, Mr. Clyburn, all talked about prior to getting in charge.

It almost reminds me of a dog inside a fence that is really barking and yelping and wanting to get out and wanting to convince its master that it can go out and do the things that it wants to show that it can do. And then once it gets out of the gate, it just kind of lays down under a tree and scratches its ear or something.

So I am ready for some action. I think the American people are ready for action. Bring out this magic plan. Unveil it. Let's see it.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, this morning the price of a barrel of oil fell to $105 after hitting an all-time high of nearly $112 in the middle of March. Less than 2 years ago, the Democrats promised Americans that they had a magic plan for lowering gas prices, but since they have been in control of Congress, prices have simply gone higher and higher. But at the time, those prices were enough to alarm Americans when Republicans were in the majority.

On the floor of the House and on the campaign trail in districts throughout the Nation, the Democrats seized on those anxieties and pointedly blamed the Republican White House and Congress for rising gas prices. Time and time again, they said they had a magic formula for lowering the cost.

On April 16, 2006, the then-minority leader Nancy Pelosi said in a press release, ``The Republican rubber stamp Congress has passed two energy bills, costing taxpayers $12 billion for giveaways to big oil companies. But the Republican bills clearly have done nothing to lower gas prices, as the price of a barrel of oil has settled above $70 a barrel, the highest price in our history.'' The release went on to say, ``Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices.''

Then the next week another Pelosi release said, ``Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices . . . ''

When in 2006 the House considered the energy bill to increase domestic production, the Democrats took to this floor in outrage. A Democrat congressman from California said on the floor about the Republican energy bill of 2006, ``It is no wonder their initials are G- O-P: gas, oil, and petroleum . . . It is time House Republicans join us in providing some real relief to the American consumer.''

That same day a Democratic Member from Connecticut said, ``When it comes to solving the energy crisis, President Bush and his Republican Congress have no credibility. If they had only spent the last 5 years working to reduce demand,'' like the Democrats have proposed, ``by raising fuel standards, rolling back the billions of dollars in tax breaks and royalty relief to the big oil companies, and if they were about promoting alternative fuels, as the Democrats have proposed, we might today be on the road to energy independence instead of bracing ourselves for $4 gas prices.

Let me put this rhetoric into context, Mr. Speaker. When the Democrats took over both Houses of Congress in January of 2007, gas prices that month ranged from $50 to $60 a barrel for oil. But at the end of 2007, the Democrats' magic plan for lowering gas prices apparently hasn't worked out because today oil is closing at over $100 a barrel.

But wait, Mr. Speaker. It gets even crazier. A House Appropriations subcommittee this week will be looking at raising gas taxes 25 to 40 cents a gallon.

Seems to me that that makes prices go up 25 to 40 cents a gallon. But what do I know? I've never professed to understand the Democrats' magic formula for lowering gas prices.

On gas prices, as on earmarks, spending, and ethics, the Democrats ran as the Great Crusaders. But they've governed as the Great Pretenders. Democrats have proposed nothing that would do anything but raise gas prices at the pump. Just last month, the House Democrats passed another ``no-energy'' energy bill in the form of an $18 billion tax increase on American energy. This marks the fourth time the Democrats have held a vote to raise energy taxes. This sort of agenda will only slow the economy by discouraging domestic energy production and increasing our dependence on foreign nations for our energy.

Our Nation needs energy production to keep our competitive edge in the global marketplace. We all want to achieve breakthroughs in alternative energies that will have a growing importance in the future. But we can't pretend that oil isn't by far the most important fuel in our economy. We have to increase domestic production. We need to give American companies incentive to produce, rather than demonizing them for providing a commodity that our livelihoods depend on.

Let's put American ingenuity to work in the field. And let's put the Democrat's magic formula back on the shelf.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, is it not true that the last vote was called at 10:52?

Further parliamentary inquiry.

Is it not true that the vote was closed at 11:22, which is approximately 30 minutes?

Further parliamentary inquiry. According to the Democrats' election manifesto, floor votes should be completed within 15 minutes with a customary 2-minute extension to accommodate Members' ability to reach the House Chamber to cast a vote. No vote shall be held open in order to manipulate the outcome.

Was that the rule that we passed on January 5, 2007?

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.