David Cicilline tries to change his record…again

Once again, David Cicilline is trying to change his record – this time it’s energy.

Rhode Islanders have been feeling severe pain at the pump, suffering from skyrocketing gas prices – up 99% since Democrats took control of the White House. Since David Cicilline arrived in Congress he’s been complicit in the Democrats’ war on energy. Cicilline voted repeatedly to block the Keystone XL pipeline – including as recently as Wednesday! (Roll Call #170, 4/18/12) Rather than support manufacturing jobs and a real all-the-above energy policy, Cicilline continually demonstrated he’d rather appease anti-energy Democrat donors than help middle-class families.

Now, he’s trying to hide his anti-energy record. Yesterday, in announcing his support for an already failed measure to create more government regulations Cicilline said we can’t control oil production. However, that’s exactly what he’s been doing by preventing more domestic energy production.

As you cover David Cicilline’s attempts to revise history when it comes to his energy record, consider the following quote:

NRCC Comment: “David Cicilline may have realized it’s politically expedient for him to appear as though he cares about rising energy prices, but he can’t run from his record of repeatedly supporting Democrat special interests instead of job creation and American energy.” – NRCC Spokesman Nat Sillin

RHODE ISLANDERS FEELING PAIN AT THE PUMP UNDER DEMOCRATS:

99%: THE AMOUNT GAS PRICES HAVE INCREASED UNDER OBAMA, THE HIGHEST GAS PRICE INCREASE SINCE CARTER: ($1.928/gallon in Feb 2009; $3.843/gallon on 3/29/2012) (Series ID: APU000074714, "Gasoline, Unleaded Regular, Per Gallon/3.785 Liters," Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 3/29/2012; “Petroleum & Other Liquids,”U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 3/29/2012)

84% OF CONSUMERS FORCED TO CHANGE LIFESTYLE BECAUSE OF GAS PRICE HARDSHIP: “Nationally, 84% of those responding to an AAA survey released earlier this month say they’ve changed their routines as a result of soaring fuel prices.” (Chris Woodyard, “High Gas Prices? Some Consumers Just Say No,” USA Today, 3/30/2012)

BUT DEMOCRATS AND THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ARE STILL CONTINUING THEIR WAR ON ENERGY THAT IS HIKING GAS, ENERGY PRICES:

REPORT: “EPA REGS COULD HAMPER OIL, NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION, REPORT SAYS”: (Ben Wolfgang, “EPA Regs Could Hamper Oil, Natural Gas Production, Report Says,”The Washington Times, 3/15/2012)

OIL PRODUCTION COULD DROP 37%, NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION COULD DROP 11%: “Domestic oil and natural gas production could plummet if proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations, designed to limit emissions from well sites, go into effect later this year, industry leaders said Thursday.

“The natural gas extraction technique known as ‘fracking’ would be hardest hit, and fuel extracted via the popular process would drop by about 52 percent, according to a new study commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute. Total gas production would decrease by about 11 percent, while domestic oil production could fall by as much as 37 percent, the report says.” (Ben Wolfgang, “EPA Regs Could Hamper Oil, Natural Gas Production, Report Says,” The Washington Times, 3/15/2012)

“UNTOLD STORY” BEHIND RISING GAS PRICES IS REFINERIES BEING DRIVEN OUT OF BUSINESS “IN NO SMALL PART BY COSTLY EPA RULES”: “The untold story behind soaring pump prices is that major U.S. refineries are going out of business and creating at least regional shortages thanks in no small part to costly EPA rules.” (Editorial, “EPA’s Heavy Hand Seen In Gas Crisis,” Investor’s Business Daily, 3/22/2012)

OVER LAST SIX MONTHS, THREE REFINERIES SUPPLYING HALF EAST COAST GASOLINE HAVE CLOSED: “Over just the past six months, three refineries supplying about half the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to the East Coast have closed, including two owned by Sunoco Inc. They say they simply cannot make money anymore.” (Editorial, “EPA’s Heavy Hand Seen In Gas Crisis,” Investor’s Business Daily, 3/22/2012)

IHS STUDY: OBAMA ADMIN SLOWWALKING PERMITS AFTER MORATORIUM OFFICIALLY ENDED: “A study by the business-consultant firm IHS found that the federal government issued 51 new drilling permits in the year following the lifting of the drilling moratorium. That was down from 157 annual permits approved before the regulations took effect.” (Bill McMorris, “Obama’s Energy Slowdown,” The Washington Free Beacon, 3/13/2012)

KEYSTONE APPROVAL REMAINS A MATTER OF COMMON SENSE:

GALLUP: 57% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT KEYSTONE, ONLY 29% OPPOSE; EVEN A 44% PLURALITY OF DEMOCRATS SUPPORT KEYSTONE: (Elizabeth Mendes, “Americans Favor Keystone XL Pipeline,” Gallup, 3/22/2012)

MORE GALLUP: AMONG AMERICANS CLOSELY FOLLOWING ISSUE, SUPPORT RISES TO 70%: (Elizabeth Mendes, “Americans Favor Keystone XL Pipeline,” Gallup, 3/22/2012)

PEW: 66% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT KEYSTONE APPROVAL: “The Pew Research Center poll released Thursday finds 66 percent who have heard about the issue say the proposed pipeline to bring oil sands from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries should be approved, while 23 percent say it shouldn’t.” (Ben Geman, “Poll Shows Support for Keystone Pipeline, Environmental Regulations,” The Hill, 2/23/2012)

CANADA WARNED IT WOULD TURN TO CHINA FOR OIL EXPORTS AFTER OBAMA’S KEYSTONE DECISION: (Theophilis Arigitis and Jeremy Loon, “Obama Keystone Denial Prompts Canada to Focus on China,” Bloomberg, 1/19/2012)

NATIONAL JOURNAL ANALYSIS: “U.S. ECONOMY MISSED OUT ON CREATING UP TO A QUARTER-MILLION JOBS” IN 2011 BECAUSE IT “LACKED [ENERGY] INFRASTRUCTURE”: “The U.S. economy missed out on creating up to a quarter-million jobs this year because it lacked the infrastructure to capitalize on a rare divergence in global oil prices, a National Journal analysis shows.” (Jim Tankersley, “A Crude Hit to the Recovery,” National Journal, 11/29/2011)

INCREASING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH KEYSTONE XL WOULD LIMIT PRICE SPIKES IN FUTURE: “There’s no evidence that the oil industry manipulated the price spread to boost refining profits; the companies just appear to be benefiting from the nation’s inability to move cheaper oil around freely. Energy industry groups say expanding America’s pipeline infrastructure – including potential Obama administration approval of the Keystone XL pipeline to carry oil south from Canada – would minimize the odds of another wide price split in the future.” (Jim Tankersley, “A Crude Hit to the Recovery,” National Journal, 11/29/2011)