Hermitage, Pa.  -  As Americans across the country continue to feel the pain at the pump, U.S. Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.) is championing a new initiative that will provide immediate price relief for consumers at the pump and increase domestic supplies of traditional energy in the market in the near-term.  Today, English, joined by local community members, unveiled the Affordable Fuel for Consumers Act at a press event at the Sheetz Gasoline Station in Hermitage, Pa.

“Working families should not be forced to foot the bill because Congress has failed to enact a comprehensive energy plan,” English said.  “While any long-term energy plan must include a vastly higher proportion of renewable and eternal energy sources compared with traditional fuels, the fact remains that traditional sources will be part of America’s energy portfolio in the near-term.  This bill tackles the skyrocketing costs working families are bearing now by leveraging market forces with broad appeal to lower prices and increase supply.”

Earlier this Congress the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, on which English serves as Ranking Member, conducted an extensive series of hearings on energy tax policy.  Although the hearing yielded a variety of viable policy initiatives that attracted bipartisan support, to date the U.S. Congress has still failed to advance a comprehensive energy plan.  In January 2007, Pennsylvania residents were paying, on average, $2.37 per gallon.  Today, Pennsylvania consumers are getting hit with a $1.24 price hike, paying $3.62 per gallon. English, who has been a vocal advocate of a strong and effective energy policy, noted that the current economic downturn coupled with volatile energy prices is placing an immense strain the pocketbooks of millions of working families.

“In this Congress, we have watched gasoline prices skyrocket by more than $1 per gallon, forcing working families to feel pain at the pump,” said English, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.  “With reports indicating gasoline prices are beginning to hit $4 per gallon, these price hikes couldn’t come at a worse time for middle-class families already being squeezed by the soaring costs of living.  Today, I am pleased to announce a new initiative that will provide consumers with immediate relief, even as Congress continues to debate the components of a long-term federal energy policy.” 

The Affordable Fuel for Consumers Act leverages market forces to bring greater efficiency and capacity to domestic refineries, bring new sources of domestic energy to the market, and through these changes to increase supply, reduce prices.  In addition, the bill calls on the Bush Administration to heed the instructions of Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and halt oil diversions to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to keep a larger quantity of oil for refining capacity now.  The bill also limits the number of “boutique fuels” refineries must produce to meet regional clean air standards, and provides short-term tax incentives to construct new gasoline refining capacity in order to relieve tight gasoline supplies.
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To provide consumers with immediate relief at the pump, the English energy initiative includes a key provision to temporarily roll back the 18.4 cent federal excise tax on gasoline for 60 days. Currently, proceeds from the federal gasoline tax go into the Highway Trust Fund, which is dedicated to highway programs.  In order to maintain the necessary funds for these programs, the lost revenue caused by the temporary suspension, would be replenished by funds from general revenue.

“By instituting a temporary federal gasoline tax holiday, Congress can help alleviate the financial pain caused by the current high cost of fuel and help put money back into the pockets of American working families,” English said.

English’s bill further addresses the energy needs of American consumers by prohibiting the exportation of crude oil from the Alaskan North Slope and cracks down on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) ability to collude in setting the price of oil on artificial terms by repealing federal anti-trust exemption for OPEC.

“It is absurd to allow rogue dictators and wealthy oil states to have unfettered self- determination when it comes to the production and pricing of their products in ways that adversely affect the pocketbooks of so many consumers,” English said. “By repealing the federal anti-trust exemption for OPEC, we end the practice, unique among oil producing states, of turning a blind eye to monopolistic control.”

The measure also encourages responsible and environmentally sound drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), creates an investment tax credit and expensing for in-situ oil shale extraction and requires the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct an annual study on the energy bottlenecks and barriers in the U.S.

“It is very clear that America has vast domestic energy sources that can be deployed in an environmentally friendly manner:  coal, oil shale, natural gas, nuclear power and new technologies to take kinetic energy from oceans to name a few,” said English, a member of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Caucus.  “It only makes sense to enact policies that will lift the artificial government restrictions on access to these energy sources to help bring more energy to market.”

English will formally introduce the Affordable Fuel for Consumers Act when he returns to Washington this week.

“Overall, this legislation provides immediate and short-term relief from prices at the pump and tight supplies of traditional energy sources like gasoline, while also embracing other medium-term market-oriented tools to ensure greater stability and control in combating rapid increases in prices,” English said.  “As important as energy diversification is, Congress must also recognize the urgency of taming traditional energy prices in the short-term as we transition to using more renewable and eternal sources of energy.”

English has been a strong advocate of a comprehensive energy plan to help stem high energy costs and promote increases in domestic supplies. This Congress, English introduced the GREEN Technologies Act to create a long-term energy plan for the nation.  He has also voted to raise mandatory fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, supported the establishment of a federal ban on gasoline price gouging and has been a long time champion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act Program (LIHEAP). 

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