Union, NJ --- One day after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a Republican energy bill, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) held a news conference at a rest stop along the Garden State Parkway to blast Republicans for doing nothing to reduce gas prices or our dependence on foreign oil. The New Jersey congressman was joined at today's event by Jeanne Fox, President of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and Emily Rusch from New Jersey PIRG.

"Republicans chose to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Earth Day by approving an energy bill yesterday that raises gas prices, does absolutely nothing to wean us from our dangerous addiction to foreign oil, damages our environment and funnels taxpayer dollars to companies that certainly don't need a handout," Pallone said. "Rather than take the opportunity to provide real relief to New Jersey families, Congressional Republicans chose to help their corporate polluter friends."

Despite the fact that over the past year, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey has increased 40 cents, from $1.66 to $2.06, the Republican energy bill will not help New Jersey families with their gas bills. Instead, the Republican special-interest energy bill would actually increase gas prices rather than reduce them. According to the U.S. Department of Energy , the Republican bill will actually increase gas prices by 3 cents per gallon and will have almost no effect on how much oil we import from abroad.

Pallone said the Republican energy bill is also loaded with special-interest giveaways. Friends of the Earth estimates that between the bill's tax breaks, direct spending and authorizations it provides more than $22 billion to the oil, gas and other energy industries. While profits at the top 10 oil and gas companies increased 30 percent last year, House Republicans couldn't resist shelling out 93 percent of the tax incentives to their corporate friends. Of the $8.1 billion in tax incentives, $7.5 billion goes to traditional oil sources such as oil, natural gas, nuclear power and electricity transmission. At the same time, the bill only includes tax incentives of less than $600 million, or 7 percent, for renewable energy and conservation.

Pallone, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the U.S. also needs to do more to promote the use of renewable sources of energy to reduce our dependence on burning dirty coal or imported natural gas. When the legislation was before the committee last week, Pallone tried to add a provision that would require a certain percentage of our electricity come from renewable sources, but the Republican majority defeated the amendment.

The U.S. Senate must now approve its own version of the energy bill before it can go to the president for his signature.