Rep. Slaughter Announces New Legislation to Curb Rising Gas Prices

Bill Will Require Executive Action to Limit Gas Prices Driven Up by Disasters

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-Fairport), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, today joined Paul Marone, the owner of Rochester's East Ave Auto, to discuss rising gasoline prices nationwide caused by recent global production problems and the national emergency created by Hurricane Katrina.

"We've got a situation where American workers are having to pay more and more at the pump at the same time that the world's biggest oil companies are making record profits," Rep. Slaughter said. "It's bad enough to shrug our shoulders when average people pay for increases in gas prices caused by situations they have no control over," Rep. Slaughter said. "But to just sit back and watch rich companies profit from the same situations? It's just wrong."

Rep. Slaughter also announced legislation she has brought before the House requiring that he President take action to deal with high gasoline prices inflated by emergency situations. The Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act authored by Rep. Slaughter directs the President to establish temporary price controls in the advent of an emergency.  In the current situation brought on by Hurricane Katrina, the law would require the President to cap gas prices at no higher than $2.50 per gallon, which was the national average before Katrina hit.

"Our President has a responsibility to keep our society moving during times of great stress," Rep. Slaughter said. "If he wants people to be able to live their lives in a normal way, he has to take aggressive action to help them meet their day-to-day needs," she added.    

The bill also requires the President to take into account energy conservation and environmental impacts when making his price control and allocation decisions, and directs the Secretary of Energy to develop criteria for declaring the kind of national fuel emergency which would trigger future temporary price controls.