Democratic Radio Address Blasts GOP on Gas Prices

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Last updated on July 1st, 2012 at 06:25 am

This week’s Democratic radio address was delivered by Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Her topic was the record high price of gasoline.

“In every corner of our country, we are paying record prices. When gas prices first began to rise, it was an annoyance. Then it became a burden. Now it is a crisis for every American family – a crisis that doesn’t just affect us at the pump, but also raises the prices of groceries, increases our home-heating bills, and squeezes small businesses trying to keep their heads above water,” Stabenow said.

She characterized the Republican position on the issue, “Republicans want more drilling, more consumption, and more tax giveaways for the big oil companies. Democrats say that those are exactly the policies that got us into this mess to begin with. This week, Democrats offered a new plan – a clean break from the failed Bush policies that were literally written by the big oil companies.”

Stabenow also discussed the Democrats five part plan to lower gas prices, “First, the Democratic plan ends the billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil companies whose executives have been hauling record profits while we pay record prices. Second, our plan forces the oil companies to do their part by investing some of their profits in clean and affordable alternative energy.”

She continued, “Third, we protect the American people from price gougers and greedy oil traders who manipulate the market. Fourth, we temporarily stop filling the national Strategic Petroleum Reserve – which is already 97 percent full – to increase supply here at home and lower prices. And fifth, our Democratic plans stands up to OPEC and countries who are working together to keep oil prices sky-high.”

I am a Democrat, and I think this plan contains too much election year rhetoric and not enough solutions. How is America going to stand up to OPEC if we can’t reduce our consumption?

The Democratic plan is electioneering because it tells the American people that Democrats can lower the price of gas for you so that you can use as much as you want forever.

When left to its own devices, this is the kind of “solution” Congressional Democrats and Republicans always come up with. This isn’t a plan to deal with gas prices. It is a reelection strategy. Thankfully, the Democratic Party will have a nominee that has a real energy policy.

This radio address today is a shining example of why having a president with strong leadership and vision is so important. Otherwise, Congress will always do just enough to ensure their reelection.

Read/listen to the full radio address:

http://www.democrats.org/a/2008/05/senator_debbie.php