WASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) wrote to President Bush, responding to a letter from House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and Senate Majority Leader Frist (R-TN) to the President, which had asked for Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice inquiries into gas price gouging.

“If Speaker Hastert is serious about protecting consumers from gasoline price gouging, he does not need to write to the President,” Stupak said.  “Instead, he should allow a vote in the House on my bill, which would instruct the Federal Trade Commission to define gouging and address the issue head on.”

Stupak’s letter noted that his legislation, the Federal Response to Energy Emergencies Act (H.R. 3936), would empower the Federal Trade Commission to effectively prosecute gas price gouging and asked that the White House support his bill.

“Currently, the federal government has limited authority to prosecute price gouging,” Stupak wrote.  “Congress has never accurately defined price gouging and has not given the FTC and DOJ the tools necessary to properly prosecute price gouging.”
 
Stupak’s bill would give the FTC and the DOJ the explicit authority to investigate and punish those who artificially inflate the price of energy.  For the first time ever, the FTC would develop a price gouging definition, taking into account consumer-friendly guidelines established in the bill.  The FTC and the DOJ would also be empowered to exercise their new authority at each stage of the energy production and distribution chain, and would apply this authority to oil, natural gas, home heating oil, crude oil and propane.  Last week, Stupak wrote to the Speaker, asking that his legislation receive prompt floor consideration. 

“For eight months, I have asked for congressional hearings into gas price gouging,” Stupak said.  “While I’m pleased the President and Republicans in Congress are finally asking questions about gas price gouging, they still owe consumers more than lip service.”

Stupak also noted that over 100 of his colleagues have signed a “discharge petition,” a rare parliamentary move designed to bypass the Republican congressional leadership and force his price gouging legislation to the floor for a vote. 

 “Over 100 of my colleagues have signed this petition to make clear they are tired of Republicans stalling on investigating gas prices,” Stupak said.  “With some consumers paying $4 per gallon in some parts of the country and crude oil prices at record breaking levels, the time for words has passed and the time for legislative action has arrived.”

For a radio actuality, dial into 1-800-320-6091 and enter actuality 2956.

The text of Stupak’s letter to the President may be downloaded at http://www.house.gov/stupak/

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