Bush's Energy Bill Would Have No Impact

[Guest Chad Clanton]

President Bush said today he anticipated the high gas prices hurting the U.S. economy three years ago which is why he sent Congress an energy bill. The problem is that Bush's own Administration conducted an analysis which found that the Bush Energy Plan would do nothing to lower gas prices.

 

Kerry Spokesman Phil Singer said: "Once again, the President is making excuses instead of actually coming up with a plan to deal with the gas price crisis that is roiling the American economy. The fact is that his energy bill doesn't lower gas prices, does little to solve our long-term energy problems and fails to end the country's reliance on Middle Eastern oil."

 

-- Bush Administration Analysis Finds Energy Plan Will Not Lower Gas Prices -- The Bush White House's Energy Information Administration study of the 2003 energy bill said it would not lower gas prices. (EIA, "Summary Impacts of Modeled Provisions of the 2003 Conference Energy Bill," http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/FTPROOT/service/s...iaf(2004)02.pdf )

 

-- Senate Republicans led Opposition to the Energy Bill: A diverse group of Republican Senators, including Sam Brownback (R- Kan.), Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Ensign (R-Nev.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Trent Lott (R-Miss.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and John Sununu (R-N.H.), led an effort to defeat the Energy Bill. (Cloture on Amendment S.A. 3051 not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 43. The Republicans voting against cloture made the difference.)

 

-- But White House Tries to Blame Democrats For Energy Bill's Failure to Advance -- Q. Scott, as I remember where the energy bill is, it's stuck in a conference between Republicans in the House and Senate. So are Republicans also responsible then for not getting an energy bill to the President? McCLELLAN: It's the Senate Democrats who have been obstructing the process and holding up passage of an energy - Q. Well, no, actually, the energy bill has passed - McCLELLAN: -- plan through their procedural moves. Q. -- has passed the Senate. It's in a conference now between the House and the Senate. So what's -- McCLELLAN: It's through the procedural moves in the Senate that they will not move forward on passing the energy legislation. (White House Press Release, "Press Briefing by Scott McClellan," 5/18/04)

 

-- Bush Campaign Has Received Nearly $3.7 Million From the Oil and Gas Industry -- The Bush-Cheney campaign has taken nearly $3.7 million from the oil and gas industry during both presidential campaigns. In 2000, the Bush-Cheney campaign received nearly $1.9 million from the oil and gas industry. In 2004, the Bush-Cheney campaign accepted over $1.7 million dollars from the oil and gas industry. (Center for Responsive Politics, http://www.opensecrets.org)

 

-- 44 Pioneers Were From The Oil and Gas Industry -- The Bush Cheney campaign has designated 44 members of the oil and gas industry Pioneers or Rangers. Pioneers have pledged to raise $100,000 for Bush's campaign; Rangers have pledged to raise $200,000. (White House For Sale, http://www.whitehouseforsale.org)

 

-- High Gas Prices Force Consumers to Choose Between Gasoline or Groceries -- A food industry analyst company reported that many consumers have tight budgets due to higher gas prices and must choose between spending money on gasoline or groceries. (AP, 5/2/04)

 

-- Desperate Bush Points Misleading Finger at Kerry -- The Bush-Cheney campaign is running an ad stating that Kerry supported a 50 cent gas tax. The problem is Kerry never voted for it and does not support it today. What Bush doesn't want America to know is that is that Vice President Cheney sponsored legislation that would make consumers pay $1.2 trillion extra for gas since 1986 and would cut 400,000 jobs. (New York Times, 4/6/04)