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Sen. Cornyn Calls on Congressional Leaders to Act on Record-High Energy Prices
Visits Waco Gas Station, North Texas Food Bank to Highlight Growing Problem, Call for Action
Monday, July 21, 2008
WACO—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today visited the Flying J Travel Plaza in Waco and the North Texas Food Bank in Dallas to discuss the serious burden record-high energy prices are having on Texas families and the continued refusal of the Majority Party in Congress to take action to bring down prices at the pump.
“In Waco, Dallas and across the state, Texas families are struggling to afford gasoline and groceries. Yet Democratic leaders in Congress have refused to identify with the real Americans they represent and have sat idly by as gas prices have risen 35 percent in the past year. Millions of Texans and others across the country are demanding action from Congress to bring down these record prices. I share their frustration.
“I call on Democratic leaders in Congress to step up to their leadership responsibilities and work with us to produce more American energy and bring down record gas prices for Texans and all Americans. It is long overdue. Every day we delay producing more of our own energy here at home is another day Americans pay record prices at the pump and send U.S. dollars into the coffers of unstable foreign nations.
“We need to act more and talk less. It is now up to the Senate Democratic Leader to allow us to act by bringing an energy bill to the floor and for him to allow good ideas from all sides to be considered.”
LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND:
Along with his Republican colleagues in the Senate, Sen. Cornyn is supporting the Gas Price Reduction Act, common-sense legislation that would take several steps to boost domestic energy production, bring down gas prices and help America become more energy-independent. Despite a recent petition sent to Democrat leaders in Congress, with the signatures of more than 1.3 million Americans demanding Congress increase domestic energy production to bring down gas prices, Democrats continue to block any initiatives to boost U.S. energy production.
In addition to supporting the Gas Price Reduction Act, Sen. Cornyn and other members of the Senate Republican leadership team have attempted to pass the American Energy Production Act. This bill would have led to the estimated production of up to 24 billion new barrels of oil - enough oil to supply America for 5 years with no foreign imports. It would have also helped reduce gas prices in the near term by sending an important signal to the markets. Unfortunately, the measure was also defeated by Democrats in Congress, but Sen. Cornyn remains committed to working toward increased refinery capacity in the U.S., more domestic energy production and additional alternative energy sources.
Finally, Sen. Cornyn is backing legislation to place a freeze on the national ethanol mandate, which has caused not only the price of corn to skyrocket, but also had a ripple effect on the price of other food products like poultry and grains. Sen. Cornyn believes a temporary freeze on food-to-fuel mandates will allow time for a reassessment of how to boost renewable fuel research and production without shifting the cost burden to consumers, and also time for food prices to return to an affordable level.
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.
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