Contact: Darrell “DJ” Jordan
      (202) 226-7602

CONGRESSMAN ADERHOLT STATEMENT ON ALABAMA’S GAS PRICE SPIKE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) today made the following statement on the sudden increase of gas prices in Alabama.

“The Gulf Coast is home to about a fifth of the nation’s refinery capacity, and most of them have halted operations because of Hurricane Ike. Wholesale gas prices have increased this week in response to the refinery shutdowns, and gas prices have spiked significantly in Alabama since yesterday.”

“Gas prices have been too high for far too long, and this gas spike does not help many Alabama families who are already struggling financially. This is a serious problem and I have fought for legislation which would help bring down the cost of gas prices by increasing our energy supply and improving our refining capacity.”

“The fact that this gas price increase is the result of refinery shut-downs in the coast brings attention to the fact that our country needs to significantly increase the supply of domestic energy and build more refineries.  A larger supply of energy and more refineries will make us less dependent on the small amount of drilling and refining locations we have, as well as on foreign oil. We have the ability to increase domestic oil production in many American locations other than in the Gulf, but some in Congress are not allowing this.”

“In July, I introduced the “Enhancing Energy Independence Resolution” to express that America can become more energy independent using today's technology without massive taxpayer expenditures, and I would encourage the House Leadership to finally bring a vote on this, and other energy producing legislation, to the Floor of the US House of Representatives.”

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