Gas Prices

The rising prices at the pump are hurting America’s working families and retirees. In areas such as Southeastern Ohio, where residents depend on their automobiles for access to work, health care, and all of life’s necessities, high gas prices place severe strains on household budgets. Residents of Southeastern Ohio also face prices well above the national average. Its simply not fair to make the working families of rural Ohio pay so much for something so important.

Congressman Space believes that oil companies and producers should have to play by the same rules as all American companies. As the price of gas continues to skyrocket, it is truly worrisome that oil companies are simultaneously taking home record profits. Its wrong for Americans to line the pockets of oil company CEO’s while feeling the pain in their wallets.

Congressman Space cosponsored and voted for legislation to combat price gouging that would strengthen price gouging rules to ensure that oil companies are not cheating the American people. He also cosponsored and voted for legislation to make OPEC countries follow basic free market rules. OPEC countries should not be able to play by their own rules at the expense of Americans filling up their gas tanks. Unfortunately, President Bush threatened to veto both pieces of legislation, stalling their progress.

America’s working families cannot wait for prices to go down to get relief. With the price of gas subject to rapid increases in price, we must have methods in place to help cushion the blow of these prices in place. Congressman Space introduced legislation, The Rural Commuters Relief Act (HR 3715), that would give tax breaks to working families that must drive long distances to work when the price of gas gets too high. The legislation would provide tax filers below the National Median Income with a $100 tax break for each month the average price of gas goes over $3.00/gallon, as long as they must drive 30 miles to work. 

The United States is blessed with an abundance of natural resources that help to drive our booming economy. As the price of gas continues to rise, refusing to use our own natural resources is a damaging approach to combating the rise of gas prices.

Congressman Space cosponsored legislation passed by the House and the Senate to end shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the cost of oil falls below $50/barrel. He will never turn his back on the America’s working families who are struggling with gas prices when America holds the potential to fix its problem from within its own borders.

Increasing the fuel efficiency of automobiles is another important means of saving working families money at the pump. Congressman Space voted for the first significant increase in CAFE standards in several decades, meaning automobiles made over the next decade will become increasingly more fuel efficient. This movement will save Americans money at the pump, and also reduce the national demand for gas.