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| Wilson Concerned with Rising Fuel Costs |
April 14, 2004 |
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Prices Burden NM Families & Small Businesses
Albuquerque – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today toured an Albuquerque distributor to learn more about the effect high fuel prices are having on businesses and job prospects.
“High prices at the pump affect everyone,” Wilson said. “Businesses that depend on transportation are especially hard hit.”
Wilson toured Distribution Management Corporation (DMC), where she was briefed on the company’s history, distribution system, growth prospects and rising transportation costs. Started in 1986, the company provides overnight and time-sensitive shipping throughout the Southwest through a fleet of 26 aircraft and 300 vehicles. The company now employs 118 people and works with another 120 contractors.
“Rising energy prices make it tough on families and small businesses. Small businesses drive our economy and create eight out of every 10 new jobs,” Wilson said. “Americans deserve an energy policy that creates jobs, restrains costs and strengthens this recovery.”
Wilson is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and a member of the Speaker’s Task Force on Affordable Natural Gas. The U.S. House approved a comprehensive energy bill last year with Wilson’s support.
Wilson said that increases in gasoline prices are in part because of dependence on foreign supply. The last few winters have also put pressure on the price of natural gas, which heats our homes and fuels industry and jobs, in part because we have not enabled adequate domestic development of this crucial component of our energy mix.
“We need a balanced energy policy to keep the lights on at affordable prices, reduce our dependence on foreign fuels, and preserve the beauty of the land,” Wilson said.
Last year, the House completed an Energy bill that took the first comprehensive steps in energy policy in more than a decade. While it has its critics, this bill would have taken important steps to help America address its continuing energy challenges, while it encouraged conservation, efficiency, and the development of renewable energy supplies.
The United States imports more than 10 million barrels of oil every day. In 1992, the United States imported 32 percent of our energy; today, nearly 60 percent of our energy is imported. |
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