High gasoline prices in the US have sparked a political furor in a presidential election year.
Republicans in US Congress have stepped up pressure on the administration of Pres. Bill Clinton over rising gasoline prices.
In addition to scheduling five oversight hearings last week on issues related to higher gasoline prices (OGJ Online, June 23, 2000), Republicans have not only lambasted the Clinton administration in general, they have singled out presidential aspirant and Vice-Pres. Al Gore for criticism. Texas Gov. George Bush, the Republican presidential candidate, said that Gore's 1992 book, Earth in the Balance, advocated higher gasoline prices. Bush said, "Now [that] the price of gas[oline] is highellipsehe seems to be running from his position."
Clinton sent Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) a letter expressing concern about gasoline prices and urging passage of several energy bills. Clinton said, "For 7 years, my administration has pursued a sound, comprehensive policy to address the nation's long-term energy needs. Regrettably, several key elements of this administration's strategy have languished in Congress."
Energy Sec. Bill Richardson and Environmental Protection Agency Admin- istrator Carol Browner announced plans to travel to the Midwest to seek "solutions" to the higher gasoline prices.
Congressional actions
Member of Congress from the Midwest protested federal inaction over $2/gal-plus gasoline prices in Chicago and Milwaukee. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) said at least 25
She said, "For the past year, the Illinois delegation has been warning EPA Administrator Carol Browner that the new regulations for the second phase of the RFG program would severely impact the price of gasoline in Illinois."
Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) said Clinton, Gore, and Browner "are pointing fingers to blame everyone but themselves for bursting the summer vacation budgets of millions of Americans."
Rep. Martin Frost (D-Tex.) replied for Democrats. He said, "For 6 years, this Republican Congress has been 'absent without leave' on energy policy. They've led the fight against energy independence for America-slashing energy efficiency programs, trying to eliminate the energy department and sell off the Strategic Petroleum Reserve."
Rep. Ben Gilman (R-NY), House of Representatives international relations committee chairman, introduced two bills that he said would thwart OPEC's "manipulation of the price of gasoline." One would allow US citizens to sue foreign energy cartels. The second would require the administration to review US policies toward international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, to ensure that they do not indirectly support OPEC's oil price-influencing activities.
Earlier this month, 78 members of the House urged the administration to release SPR oil to help lower gasoline prices. Separately, more than 50 House Democrats urged the Republican leadership in the House and Senate to push bills reauthorizing the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which has expired. The law permits the president to draw down SPR oil under emergency conditions.
The House has passed a short-term extension and the Senate a different long-term bill, but neither has acted on the other's legislation.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) filed a bill to require the Department of Energy to monitor US oil and gasoline stocks more closely. DOE would have to notify Congress when inventories fell below certain levels, so it would have time to react before a crisis developed.
Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alas.), the energy committee chairman, offered his omnibus energy bill as an amendment to the health and human services appropriations bill before the Senate. Murkowski's bill contains a number of energy measures designed to reduce US dependence on oil imports (OGJ, May 22, 2000, p. 28).
Meanwhile, Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) plans to file a bill to allow the Department of Justice to sue foreign countries, such as OPEC members, for price-fixing practices. And Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether recent oil company mergers have affected gasoline prices. He said the recent mergers of British Petroleum PLC and Amoco Corp., Exxon Corp. and Mobil Corp., and BP Amoco PLC and ARCO may have contributed to higher fuel prices in the Midwest.
