From the Majority Leader’s Office:

Some in GOP Engage in Stunts, After House GOP Blocks Real Efforts to Combat High Gas Prices

WASHINGTON – House Majority Leader Hoyer Steny Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today:

“A smattering of House Republicans are engaging in stunts on the House floor in a transparent political effort to manufacture headlines. Meanwhile, most of their Republican colleagues returned home burdened with trying to explain why they blocked efforts to combat high gas prices. Republicans voted against expanding drilling in Alaska, against promoting renewable energy, against establishing the first new vehicle efficiency standards in 32 years, against repealing taxpayer subsidies for major oil companies that are making record profits, against cracking down on price gouging, and against curbing excessive speculation in energy markets.

“For six years, Republicans controlled every branch of government and did nothing while America became more dependent on foreign sources of oil. House Republicans now want to dust off old proposals, rejected by Congress on a bipartisan basis as bad ideas, and claim they have put forward ‘solutions’.

“Democrats today are pro-actively offering short-term solutions to high costs at the pump, as well as a long-term strategy to break our dependence on foreign oil. It's a shame Republicans are more interested in playing games than enacting real solutions.”