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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Memorial Day and the summer driving season approaches, Congressman Marion Berry (D-AR) joined a bipartisan majority in Congress to vote for legislation to combat record breaking gas prices. This week Rep. Berry voted to approve bills that will stop Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that conspire to limit the supply or fix the price of oil, crack down on price gouging, and increase funding for research and development of renewable and energy efficient technologies. Rep. Berry's votes occur as families in Arkansas are currently paying an average of $3.16 a gallon for gasoline.
"Once again, while big oil companies post record profits, Arkansas families continue to get squeezed at the pump," said Berry. "These bills are part of the comprehensive energy plan needed to decrease prices at the pump and our dependence on foreign oil."
On Tuesday, Berry voted for H.R. 2264, which would authorize the Justice Department to take legal action against the OPEC. OPEC accounts for more than two-thirds of global oil production and can limit the supply, or fix the price, of oil without any recourse. Nations or organizations that limit oil supply can artificially inflate the cost of gas, which hurt American consumers.
On Wednesday, Berry voted a bill he cosponsored titled, The Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act, H.R. 1252. This bill will give the Federal Trade Commission the authority to investigate and punish companies that artificially inflate the price of gas. The bill sets criminal penalties for price gouging, and permits states to bring lawsuits against wholesalers or retailers who engage in such practices
Also on Wednesday, Berry and fellow members of the Energy and Water Committee voted to increase funding for research and development of energy efficiency and renewable energy by $400 million. In addition as a member of the House Budget Committee, Berry has been fighting to ensure funding in the 2007 Farm Bill to increase funding for alternative energy technologies.
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