WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement after President Bush ordered that his Administration investigate price gouging at the pump even though it was already doing so because of the leadership of Democrats in Congress. The Energy Policy and the Science, State, Justice, and Commerce Acts of 2005 directed the Federal Trade Commission to conduct an investigation into price gouging. The investigation has yet to be completed, and the results have yet to be released.

Schakowsky’s full statement is below:

“President Bush is taking cues for his energy policy from the movie Groundhog Day. Instead of taking action to bring gasoline prices down as they increase steadily at the pump, President Bush has called on his Administration to investigate for price gouging yet again. Because the Bush Administration has opposed Democratic attempts to give the FTC the authority to hold oil and gas companies that price gouge accountable, this investigation is simply another empty PR stunt that will provide no relief to consumers.”

“Before the President took office and repeatedly since then, I called on him to bring in his former colleagues from the energy industry to develop a strategy to bring gasoline prices down. The President has ignored my advice. Last week, I called on Vice President Cheney to bring a reconstituted Energy Task Force before Congress to develop immediate plans to bring prices down. I await his response.”

“It is time for the President to accept the Democrats’ efforts to give the FTC the authority to hold oil and gas companies that price gouge accountable, and to ensure that those companies do not make windfall profits by charging consumers record prices. The American people need relief at the pump, not redundant reports.”