Lynn Westmoreland

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order under clause 2(a) of rule XX that the vote just ended was held open for the sole purpose of reversing the outcome.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, isn't it true that if this motion passed, that it would be referred back to the committee from whence it came, and that it could be reported back the next legislative day?

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, it's interesting to come down here and to listen to the majority party, the Democrats, talk about a new change in direction for our energy policy or something new to do about our troops. News flash: Y'all are in charge. You've got 230-plus votes. You're in charge. You can pass anything you want to. Mr. Speaker, we need to stop the whining. Since they took over in 2007, with a new energy policy, H.R. 6, our gasoline has gone up about $1.50 a gallon. So here's what I want everybody to do, Mr. Speaker. I want you to go home tonight and I want you to go to Home Depot and I want you to buy some energy saving bulbs because, in their energy bill, light bulbs are mentioned 350 times, where gasoline was mentioned 6, crude oil was mentioned 12. I want you to go home, I want you to take those energy saving light bulbs, I want you to put them in, and then I want you to drive to the gas station and see if gas has come down, because that's the way their plan is supposed to work. You're in charge. If you're in charge, lead. Mr. Speaker, we need some leadership here. We need to do something to help the American people at the gas pump with these outrageous gasoline prices and crude oil fixing to go to $150-plus a barrel. Do something.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Thank you, Mr. Shimkus, and thank you for doing this. I am glad to hear all of the discussion today. As Mr. McCotter was just talking about, the Democratic plan, I guess, or their policy, was H.R. 6, which was part of their monument pieces of legislation this was going to change the direction of this country. As we see by your chart, they definitely have changed the direction of gas prices in that they are skyrocketing up. We heard so much before they got in charge about the commonsense plan that they had. So H.R. 6 was their energy bill. If you look at H.R. 6, and, Mr. Shimkus, I did a little word search and found that crude oil was mentioned five times in that bill, which was well over 300 pages. Gasoline was mentioned about 12 times. Domestic drilling was not mentioned. Drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf was not mentioned. But what was curious was that swimming pool was mentioned 47 times because there was a piece of swimming pool legislation that was added to the bill. So swimming pool was mentioned about seven times more or eight times more than gasoline. Then the other interesting thing is 350 times in that bill was lamp or light bulbs. So I have a hard time explaining. I just spoke to a group of farmers Saturday morning at a breakfast and they were asking me about fuel prices. As you know, the price of diesel is up well over $4 a gallon. When I tried to explain to them the Democratic solution to our energy problems and our dependency on foreign oil, I don't think that they believed me. I read them the bill, I read them the things that were in the bill, and I am having a hard time convincing them that I am telling the truth. So I am proud that you're here and that these other members are here so I can have somebody to go back and say, Look, I told you I am telling you the truth. This is their policy. It is a nonpolicy. Their commonsense plan that they had to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and to bring down the rising gas prices has done nothing but cause them to go up almost 50 percent. So I thank you for doing this, and I hope that by me sitting here listening to some of my other colleagues, I can get some ideas about what to go home and tell the people of the Third Congressional District of Georgia. What really is their plan? Did they really have one? As it turns, it seems if they had one, it has certainly backfired on them and, shamefully, the American people. Thank you.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Thank you, Mr. Garrett. This has something to do with the Constitution, something to do with what the intent of our Founding Fathers was. I don't think that they had in mind Senate bill 2739 which just passed the House with 117 dissenting votes and they must have had right at 300 who voted for it. It was an omnibus bill that included 61 distinct pieces of legislation, 61, at a cost of $380 million. Sixty-one bills rolled into one, $380 million, 20 minutes debate, voted under suspension. That has got to make Americans proud, Madam Speaker. It has got to make our Founding Fathers roll over in their graves. But the part that really bothered me the most, because I talked earlier about the price of gas and what the majority party's commonsense plan to lower those gas prices was. And I look at this bill, Senate bill 2739 permanently blocks exploration for natural energy resources on millions of acres of Federal land at a time when this country and our entire economy is suffering as a result of these record high energy prices. But yet we permanently block exploration of natural gas. Also, you know, we only own 670 million acres. You know, Congressman Garrett, I don't know what the Founding Fathers had in mind with the Constitution, but I think if they had really figured that the Federal Government would own 670 million acres, they may have put that in there somewhere. One thing they did put in the Constitution was about private property rights. The natural heritage area designations included in this bill restrict, and I think the Constitution talks about this somewhere, restricts how residential and commercial property owners utilize their private property without any notice or warning. It also kicked out and stripped out some amendments put in by the House that would have protected the second amendment, and I believe that may be in the Constitution, it is talked about somewhere, the second amendment. So the right to bear arms and property rights in these natural heritage areas were stripped out of this bill. What breaks my heart even more is that the minority party, who has been standing up here complaining about our energy cost, all we had to get was about 28 more votes and this bill would have had to come under regular order where we could have stood on this floor in front of the American people, Madam Speaker, and debated this bill. But we could not muster 145 votes out of the 199 Members that we have in the Republican conference. That's embarrassing to me. That is just as hard for me to understand and to go home and try to explain to my constituents when I am standing up here night after night arguing about oil and gas prices and the price of energy and what little pitiful bit the majority is doing when my party won't support doing something to make some real change in what we are paying at the pump. Mr. Garrett, I want to thank you for doing this special order on the Constitution, and I hope that you will bring up the private property rights, the second amendment, the fact that we can pass legislation $380 million worth, 61 different bills rolled into one under suspension with 20 minutes of debate. Like I said, Madam Speaker, I know that makes America proud.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people in Georgia's 3rd Congressional District, I rise today to pay tribute to the distinguished service of Dr. Frank Brown, longtime president of Columbus State University. The longest-serving president in the University System of Georgia will retire this spring after 20 years at the helm. While his time on the job draws short, his legacy at CSU stretches long. During Dr. Brown's tenure, Columbus State has experienced extraordinary growth and progress. He transitioned the school from a college to a university that now boasts more than 50 undergraduate programs and more than 35 master's or specialist's programs. The school's expansion includes numerous new academic facilities, new housing for more than 1,200 students and a clock tower that has become a symbol of the university and the center of campus life. The school also has developed a downtown campus called RiverPark that houses 350 students and the arts, theater and music departments. The academic caliber of the university has grown also under Dr. Brown's leadership. The D. Abbott Turner College of Business is now among only about 27 percent of business schools in the country accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; and the College of Education was recently re-accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Additionally, the nursing, art, theater, music and counseling programs have all achieved national accreditation in their disciplines, a mark of clear distinction in academic circles. The most recent indication of the university's level of respect may be the success of CSU's capital campaign, An Investment in People. When the campaign was first being considered in the late 1990s, many considered the originally proposed goal of about $35 million too ambitious. At its conclusion, the campaign exceeded $100 million, thanks to an unbelievably supportive community, a wide-reaching team of dedicated volunteers and the partnerships established over the years. The success of CSU under Dr. Brown has benefited the community of Columbus at large, according to Chamber of Commerce President Mike Gaymon. ``Thanks to Frank's leadership, the university has expanded to bring three of its schools downtown to make art, music and theater a major part of UpTown Columbus,'' Gaymon said. ``Dr. Brown has led a renaissance at CSU.'' Dr. Brown's good works off campus complement his accomplishments on campus. He was the 1994 volunteer of the year for the Lung Association of Georgia and he's also contributed his time to the American Red Cross. He's a member of the Columbus First Baptist Church and the Columbus Rotary Club, and he's been involved with the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, the United Way, the Georgia Council on Economic Education and the Boy Scouts of America. When announcing his retirement from Columbus State, Dr. Brown said the time was simply right for a new leader to build on the successes of the past 20 years. Admirers of Dr. Brown will no doubt feel a certain pity for the successor who must fill such big shoes. Over the past generation, our state of Georgia has moved from the backwaters to the forefront of the American higher education systems. It has been the leadership, intelligence, dedication and perseverance of educators such as Dr. Frank Brown that have lifted higher education in Georgia to standards of excellence. More than the students and alumni at Columbus State University owe Dr. Frank Brown a debt of gratitude. His contributions are felt positively throughout the Greater Columbus area. Upon his retirement, we can look back and pay him the ultimate compliment: He dedicated his career to a worthwhile endeavor, and he left it better off than how he found it. In Frank Brown's case, he left it immeasurably better than he found it. For that, we thank him and we praise him. As he moves on into another phase of life we wish health and happiness to him and his wife Jo Ann.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I am glad the gentleman who has just left was talking about the energy prices, because that is what I want to talk about, too, the energy prices. I was elected to Congress 4 years ago, and I came up here and you really think you are going to be dealing with some smart people. It took all I could muster up just to graduate from high school. I did attend college for 2 years. But I have come up here and I have found out that evidently a lot of people in this body don't understand either business or the economy or economics or something, because I keep hearing about the majority wanting to bring down gas prices, but they want to do it by raising taxes and taxing oil companies. Now, the gentleman just spoke about getting the President's help. Well, I think he has tried to help. I think he has put together some good proposals, but they don't want to do any drilling. On April 24, 2006, Speaker Pelosi put out a thing, they were trying to get into the majority, and it said: ``Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices.'' And at the time, gas was probably $2 a gallon and, as the gentleman stated a while ago, it is about $3.80 now. Oil was probably $60 a barrel, and it is about $120 a barrel now. But you passed H.R. 6. That was one of the first 100 Hours, one of these great proposals, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Well, we did a little research. In that bill, which is over 300 pages, ``crude oil'' is mentioned five times. Over 300 pages, ``crude oil'' is mentioned just five times. ``Gasoline'' is mentioned 12 times in over 300 pages. ``Exploratory drilling'' is mentioned twice. ``Offshore drilling'' is mentioned, none. ``Domestic drilling'' is mentioned, none. ``Domestic oil'' is mentioned, none. ``Domestic gas,'' zero mention. ``Domestic fuel,'' zero mention. ``Domestic petroleum,'' zero. ``Gas price'' or ``gas prices,'' zero. The word ``commonsense,'' zero. What is mentioned is ``greenhouse,'' 103 times. ``Green building,'' 101 times. ``Ecosystem,'' 24 times. ``Climate change,'' 18 times. One of their favorite words ``regulation,'' 98 times. ``Environmental,'' 160 times. ``Geothermal,'' 94 times. ``Renewable,'' 333 times. The word ``pool'' because, Madam Speaker, there was the Swimming Pool Safety Act attached to the Energy Independence and Security Act. Here is the thing I found interesting. The word ``pool'' was mentioned 47 times; or nine times more than crude oil and four times more than the word ``gasoline.'' ``Lamp'' or ``light bulb'' is mentioned 350 times; 350 times they talk about lamps or light bulbs. So get the picture here. The Democratic plan for lowering gas prices is not drilling, it is not using domestic production, it is becoming more reliant on foreign oil; and it is going to do it through greenhouse, green building, regulation, geothermal, swimming pool safety, and light bulbs. Now I have a hard time when I go home to the people of the Third Congressional District explaining to them that that's our plan for energy independence. And I don't know if I am the only one that is having the problem of convincing my constituents that this is what Congress is doing to lower gas prices. Now just another side note here. Tonight we passed Senate bill 2739, Consolidated Natural Resource Act of 2008, but I see my time has expired.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I want to read an editorial to the American people, Mr. Speaker, that was printed yesterday in Investors Business Daily: ``Oil Shock. ``When it comes to energy policy, Democrats always talk a good game. But look at their actual record while in control of Congress in the last year and a half. It's been nothing short of disastrous. ``Wasn't it 2 years ago that then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi vowed, if the party took over Congress, to cut energy prices, especially gasoline? `` `Democrats have a commonsense plan,' Ms. Pelosi went on to say, `to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to the big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels.' ``This is what Ms. Pelosi wrote in April of 2006 as part of her efforts to convince the American people to elect Democrats. ``How's that working for you? The cost of energy, measured by the price of West Texas Intermediate Crude is up more than 70 percent.'' On 12/19/07 President Bush signed into law H.R. 6, which was the plan. It's not working. We want to see the real plan, Ms. Pelosi.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I thank the Chair.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, is it not true that if indeed this motion to recommit passed, that this bill could be referred back to the two committees from which it came and that it could be back on this floor as soon as tomorrow?

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I want to thank my friend for yielding. And I want to thank the chairwoman, Ms. Velazquez, for the job that she has done and for what Ranking Member Chabot has done, and the true bipartisan work and the good things that we have been able to do in the committee this year for small business. But while we're talking about that, you know, we need to talk about the one threat that all small business people have come up to me in the last couple of weeks to talk about, and that is the price of fuel. Madam Chairman, I want to tell you that some of them feel like they have been lied to or maybe misled, because in 2006, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a memo that said, ``To Assist the Candidates.'' ``Demonstrate your dedication to fighting for middle class families by clearly explaining how you will work to keep down the price of gas if elected to Congress. Hold an event at a gas station or other logical locations where you call for a real commitment to bringing down gas prices, and pledge that as a Member of Congress you will fight for families in your district, not for oil and gas executives that the Republican Congress has fought for.'' And so they went out. And maybe some people were misled because if you look at April 11, 2006, one of the candidates, Jason Altmire, who is on our committee, had a campaign that said, ``rising fuel costs'' that got Jason Altmire, the Democratic nominee for the Fourth Congressional District, calling for alternative fuel sources. ``Altmire made four stops Thursday in the district at gas stations all at prices for regular unleaded teetering at around $3 per gallon. The Democrat blames his opponent and President Bush for the rising fuel costs.'' The price for a barrel of fuel at this time, a barrel of oil is $57. You know, it's $119 today. Small business people have been misled to think that the new majority was going to do something about fuel costs. It's time we have a public outcry that we do do something. If this secret plan is released, if the Pelosi premium is brought down, gas prices are at a record at this time of $3.50 a gallon.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I think that small businesses deserve an answer. I think they deserve to see what this program is. I think they deserve to see what this plan is, what they were promised. The fact that gas at the time that they were told this was $2.06 a gallon, oil was at $76 a barrel, today oil is at $119 a barrel, average price of gas is $3.50, they've been misled. And so what we want to do is see that commonsense plan brought to the floor, laid out, that we can all look at and maybe we can work towards. And it's not just raising taxes, it's not buying or riding bicycles, it's not windmills, it's not solar panels, it's got to be less dependence on foreign oil. And we can only do that by using our natural resources to provide energy for this country.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I want to read a few floor comments, if I could. This one is made July 28, 2005, in a floor statement by Congressman Jim McDermott: ``Republicans have written a bill that favors corporate America over mainstream America. Sixty dollars for a barrel of oil that breaks the backs and the budgets of mainstream Americans is a scandal.'' Mr. Speaker, I wonder what Mr. McDermott thinks about $119 a barrel of oil. Mr. Speaker, on April 20, 2005, in a floor statement, then minority leader Nancy Pelosi said this: ``The Republican energy bill is warmed-over stew of old provisions and outdated policies. Democrats have better ideas.'' Mr. Speaker, I challenge the Democrats to bring forth these better ideas because since the Democrats have taken control, gas prices are up over $1.25 a gallon. Mr. Speaker, May 23, 2006, in a floor statement by Mr. Frank Pallone: ``As Americans prepare to travel this weekend for the Memorial Day holiday, they should know that Democrats are offering real solutions.'' Mr. Pallone, we need to see those solutions.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dawn Dallaire from Georgia's 3rd Congressional District, the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2008 Small Business Person of the Year for Georgia. Just five years ago, Dallaire started a specialty-soap business in the garage of her Fayetteville home and produced $47,000 in revenues. Today, her business, Clearly Fun Soap, has created local jobs and projects annual revenues to reach near $3 million. Like many inventors, Dallaire didn't start out intending to become CEO of a company: she was simply making gifts for friends. She perfected her ``goldfish in a bag''--which has become her signature product in the U.S. gift market--and then branched out with new designs. Dallaire's fortunes took a fateful turn when she took her soap products to a gift show in Florida. There, she took $5,000 worth of orders and happy customers started coming back. By 2005, Dallaire's soap business had bubbled beyond the garage. With the help of a Small Business Administration Community Express Loan, she opened a 5,000-square-foot facility in Griffin, another city in the 3rd District. But the growth continued. Two years later, Clearly Fun Soap upgraded to a 10,000-square-foot facility with 15 full-time employees, with up to 35 part-time employees. Clearly Fun Soap now dots the shelves at Bath & Body Works. Linens N Things, Marshall's and TJ Maxx with accounts pending at other major retailers. Soon, Dallaire will publish her book ``Being a Woman in Business in a Man's World'' which chronicles both her business and personal accomplishments--including losing 120 pounds. Our small businesses are the economic engine of our economy and they create over 75 percent of new jobs. Small business people such as Dallaire are helping others as they help themselves. I want to congratulate Dawn Dallaire on this distinguished award. It's truly a great honor that reflects her truly great accomplishments. Georgia's 3rd District is proud to call her one of our own. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the House of Representatives, I again congratulate Dawn Dallaire, the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year for 2008, and wish her and Clearly Fun Soap continued success at ``cleaning up.''

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, April 28, 2006, a press release by Anita Lowe: These skyrocketing gas prices are a reflection of the Republican energy plan. We need a long-term strategy to lower gas prices and meet our energy needs. Yet Republicans passed up a golden opportunity in major energy bills last year. Democrats have a plan to give American families the relief they deserve. Democrats, Madam Speaker, have been in charge for 16 months and gas prices have gone up over $1.25 a gallon. April 18, 2006, in a press release, then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: But the Republicans' bills clearly have done nothing to lower gas prices as the price of a barrel of oil has settled above $70 a barrel, the highest price in our history. Today, Madam Speaker, oil closed at $114 a barrel. Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices taking America in a new direction. We're ready to see this new plan. I don't understand why the Democratic leadership won't bring out the new plan, why there is not an outcry from their membership to see the new plan.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Chairman, I wanted to continue on to read some of these quotes about the outrage that the majority party had about the prices of gas and oil, and now, as to the outrage of the American people because evidently they felt like there could be a change and that there could be some solution to the price of higher fuel. On September 9 of 2005 there was a press release sent out by Mr. Doyle that said, ``Supply and demand can't account for the spike in gas prices we've seen.'' ``Americans want and deserve stable, affordable gas prices.'' I agree, they do. There have been some broken promises given to the American people about who could produce, because at the time this press release was written, gas was about $2.25 a gallon. It's $3.44 a gallon now. The party of Mr. Doyle has been in charge for 16 months. Where is that accountability? Where is the stable, affordable gas prices that Mr. Doyle said the American people deserved? We haven't seen them. They are in that secret plan that we are waiting to see unveiled. June 7, 2006, press release by Mr. DeFazio, ``Americans deserve an effective, comprehensive solution to the problem of high gas prices and growing dependence on foreign oil. Unfortunately, all they get out of this Republican Congress is a lot of hot air.'' Well, Mr. DeFazio, I think there's enough hot air to go around because evidently this press release was a lot of hot air. Gas prices have done nothing but go up. The majority has changed. There is a new sheriff in town, so to speak, that I have heard when this takeover took place, but what is the sheriff doing? The sheriff must have lost his gun or something, because, Madam Chairman, there has been no action. There has been nothing. We have discussed a lot of things on this floor, but I don't think there has been anything about higher gas prices. July 13, 2006, a press release by Rosa DeLauro: ``The Bush administration and congressional Republicans have failed to bring up comprehensive energy reform, or any piece of legislation, for that matter, that would lower gas prices.'' Well, here it is 2 years later, and I haven't seen anything from the new majority that does anything to lower gas prices or, to quote her, ``or anything else.'' It goes on, ``Addressing these gas prices should be a priority for the congressional Republicans. I urge the Republican leadership to take action to reduce gas prices for consumers.'' I want to do the same thing. I want to encourage the congressional Democrats, Madam Chairman, to do something about gas prices and oil prices. I want to see the magic plan. April 8, 2005, a press release by Ms. DeGette: ``Thanks to the shortsighted policies of the Republican Congress, our economy and the budgets of all Coloradoans are being hurt by skyrocketing gas prices. In Colorado, gas is up to $2.15 a gallon.'' Man, don't we wish we had those days when Republicans were in charge and gas was $2.15. Democrats have been in charge for 16 months, and it is $3.44 a gallon. May 14, 2004, a press release by Mr. Etheridge: ``Gas prices in North Carolina and throughout the Nation are at record high levels. ``A major reason for these prices is the high price of crude oil, which has reached $40 a barrel.'' Man, don't we wish we had $40 a barrel back. ``We need immediate action to lower gas prices.'' Where is the outrage from these people that I am reading quotes from today demanding lower gas prices? I can't hear them. I haven't heard them. I haven't even seen them. April 27, 2006, a press release from Ms. Herseth: ``We have heard strong words this week about rising gas prices, but words are not enough. Families across America are struggling to fill their gas tanks. They deserve answers and concrete actions, not just lip service.'' Lip service, that's what we've got.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Chairman, I need to continue with some of these quotes, because I think they are pretty interesting as to our energy policy that we have, I guess, or the lack of an energy policy that we have right now. July 25, 2006, Mr. Hoyer, then the Democratic whip, says: ``Republicans' failure to craft a forward-looking strategy to deal with the rising costs of fuel over the last 5 years has helped ensure that my constituents would pay a very high price at the gasoline pump today and for at least the next several years.'' Well, I guess he is trying to make that statement come true, because it is continuing to rise over the next years. But it is not under our watch. So, Mr. Leader, I want to tell you that the ball is in your court. You didn't think that we could do a very good job with it. And I am reading these quotes. Evidently the now-Speaker didn't think we could do a very good job with it. So the ball is in your court, and I don't see the ball going anywhere except in the wrong direction. The price continues to go up, and I just think we need to see that secret plan that the Democrats have for bringing down our gas prices. August 16, 2005, a press release by Ms. Wasserman Schultz: ``The unacceptable rise that we have seen in gasoline prices over the past year can be linked in part to the lack of consumer-oriented energy policy in this country. Gas prices have remained at record levels for about 4 months at $2.25 per gallon nationwide.'' Well, I don't know if I am the one that is going to break the news, but right now gas is at $3.44. And this lack of policy that evidently was in effect when gas was only $2.55 a gallon, where is your policy? I challenge you, where is the policy that you had that was supposed to bring these gas prices down that you continually talk about. If you could just get a chance to get your hands on the ball, that you could score. You could score for the American people and you could get gas prices down. You have got your opportunity. You have had your opportunity for 16 months. September 29, 2005, in a letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Tanner said, ``Gas prices in Tennessee and the rest of the country have literally skyrocketed. Our ever-growing dependence on foreign oil only guarantees that we will have to continue dealing with potentially unfriendly countries.'' News flash, Mr. Tanner and Madam Chairman: I would like to say that there they are still skyrocketing, and we are still more dependent now on foreign oil than ever before, because the majority does not want us having domestic production. They don't want us drilling in our own territory, on our own Outer Shelf or in Alaska, anywhere, really, to get more dependent on our own oil and our own energy. They decided that riding bicycles was the way to go. September 9, 2005, a press release, Marion Berry: ``We can barely afford to fill our gas tanks to get to and from work each day, and our farmers are spending everything they have on diesel fuel just to keep their crops alive. These people deserve some answers and a fair price for their gasoline.'' You know, Mr. Berry, I couldn't agree with you more. You made that statement not quite 3 years ago. Where is your answer? You have been in the majority party for the last 16 months, and I don't see any answers to the questions and the comments and the concerns that you brought up for your constituents or these farmers that were spending way too much money then when gas was $2.50 a gallon. May 22, 2005, in a press release by Mr. Pallone: ``Republicans chose to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Earth Day by approving an energy bill yesterday that raises gas prices. The average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey has increased 40 cents, from $1.66 to $2.06.'' I wish we were back to those $2.06 days, don't you? And I don't know what we are going to do to celebrate Earth Day today, but gas, Mr. Pallone, is at $3.44. So the celebration won't be near as sweet because of the promises that you made to the American people that you were going to bring gas prices down, and they continue to go up.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I too want to thank the gentlelady for this commonsense amendment. I think it does put the responsibility, at least partially, back on those local governments to control themselves. But it is for the same reason that the gentleman from New Jersey got up. My constituents also are concerned about the ability to go to the beaches. No matter how clean we can make them, if they can't get there, then they can't enjoy them. And we had demonstrations the other day, Madam Chairman. We saw truckers driving around the Capitol, at least along the highway here, protesting the price of diesel fuel. And diesel is over $4 a gallon. And it's costing some of these truckers, independent businesspeople, over $1,000 to fill their trucks up. And we've had some promises. And those seem to be empty promises that we've had. And I wanted to come today because, as you know, the average price of gas today is about $3.44 a gallon. The price of a barrel of oil is $114 a barrel. And I wanted to just kind of remind some people, maybe we have forgotten that we have had some promises made to the American people to really bring about some change in our government. I want to read a press release that was dated September 21, 2005 by Speaker Pelosi. ``This is of the highest priority to our House Democratic Caucus because it is a high priority for America's working families. Some people have to work 2 more hours a day to cover the cost of gas that takes them to work, if they are making minimum wage.'' Well, we raised the minimum wage, but gas has gone up well over $1 a gallon since the Democrats took control and since Ms. Pelosi became Speaker. September 28, 2005, another press release by the then-Minority Leader Pelosi, ``Democrats have been working for months to bring down the price of gas at the pump and home heating oil.'' Well, you've been in charge for 16 months, and I don't see what we have done to bring down the price of gas or the price of oil, except we have had some hearings where we question the heads of the oil companies about the profits they are making. The point is, is that gas has gotten so high that the average person is now having to look at exactly where and what meets the best needs of their family, if they can go to the grocery store or not. That is a consideration that it seems like the Democratic leadership wanted to have for the working family. So why are we doing that? We are spending a lot of time on other issues. But we need to be working on this, something that affects the everyday person. April 18, 2006, in another press release, Ms. Pelosi said: ``But the Republican bills clearly have done nothing to lower gas prices, as the price of a barrel of oil today has settled above $70 a barrel.'' Man, don't we wish for those days again? At the time it was the highest price in history. Here is the quote that I think that we really need to get an answer to. ``Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices, taking America in a new direction.'' There is a new direction. And there is a song that goes with that direction. But I don't see a new direction. Or if we were going in a new direction, it's the wrong direction. Where is the Democratic plan for lower gas prices? Is it on the shelf somewhere? Are we saving it for a time when gas gets above $4 a gallon? Five dollars a gallon? What are we saving the plan for? Let's bring the plan out tomorrow. Let's vote on it tomorrow. You can waive the rules. As we have seen in this Congress, we can change the rules at any time that it's convenient when we need it, and we really don't have to pay attention to the rules we adopted when you became the majority. So why don't we bring out this plan? Why don't we have a plan that tomorrow we can tell the American people that the Democrats are going to finally unveil the plan? Now the plan that we have heard so far from the Energy and Commerce chairman, Mr. Dingell, is to raise the price of the motor fuel tax 50 cents a gallon. That just doesn't sound like a good plan. One of the other plans that we had was to buy 30 bicycles at a cost of $30,000. I don't know that that's the plan that the American hardworking family is looking for. I mean, I live in Grantville, Georgia, and I would love to ride a bicycle to work, but that would take me quite a bit of time. I don't know. It might take 24 hours for me to ride a bicycle to work. But I don't know how families are going to ride bicycles to work to get groceries, or to go to the store, or whatever they have to do. Riding bicycles to me is just not that new plan. Now if that is the Democrats' plan, then let's go ahead and unveil it and let the American people see it. I think they want to know what it is.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, further parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Ma'am, I don't know how else to put it other than maybe a point of order.