Dems Wish Upon Rising Gas Prices

As Gas Prices Reach New Record Highs, Let’s Remember That Top Dems Have Been Pushing to Raise Gas Prices for Years

• On top of the financial pressures they’re already facing, American families can expect to see yet another steep increase in gas prices in the months ahead. Some reports see prices going far above $4 dollars a gallon.
• The lack of a national energy infrastructure has played a large role in Americans’ susceptibility to these price shocks in the past, but apparently Democrats remain unconcerned about the risk, as evidence in President Obama’s decision to sabotage the Keystone XL pipeline.
• If this decision to sabotage 20,000 shovel-ready American jobs while increasing American energy independence seems puzzling, consider statements from President Obama and his now-Energy Secretary Stephen Chu calling for higher gas and energy prices just a few years ago.

On top of the financial pressures they’re already facing, American families can expect to see yet another steep increase in gas prices in the months ahead. Some reports see prices going far above $4 dollars a gallon:

$4 A GALLON GAS ON THE HORIZON: “Get ready for another round of pain at the pump: $4 (or higher) gasoline.” (Gary Strauss, “Gas Prices Could Spike 60 Cents or More by May,” USA Today, 2/9/2012) 

GAS PRICES NEARLY A DOLLAR HIGHER THAN TWO FEBRUARIES AGO: “After rising 19 cents a gallon in the past four weeks, regular unleaded gasoline now averages $3.48 a gallon, vs. $3.12 a year ago and $2.67 in February 2010.” (Gary Strauss, “Gas Prices Could Spike 60 Cents or More by May,” USA Today, 2/9/2012) 

“AVERAGE U.S. GAS PRICES HOVER AT RECORD-HIGH LEVELS”: (Ronald White, “Average U.S. Gas Prices Hover at Record-High Levels,” Los Angeles Times, 2/7/2012) 

GAS PRICES BEGIN UNEXPECTED RISE THIS JANUARY: “January is typically a month of falling gasoline prices because fuel demand falters in the slower travel weeks that follow the year-end holidays.

“Not so this year.” (Ronald White, “Average U.S. Gas Prices Hover at Record-High Levels,” Los Angeles Times, 2/7/2012)

The lack of a national energy infrastructure has played a large role in Americans’ susceptibility to these price shocks in the past, but apparently Democrats remain unconcerned about the risk, as evidence in President Obama’s decision to sabotage the Keystone XL pipeline:

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)

KEYSTONE PROJECT PROJECTED TO CREATE MORE THAN 20,000 “SHOVEL-READY” JOBS: (Editorial, “Keystone Cop-Out,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2011) 

A SLAP IN THE FACE TO OBAMA’S JOBS COUNCIL: REJECTION COMES AFTER JOBS COUNCIL PLEAD FOR MORE AMERICAN ENERGY PROJECTS: “‘[W]e should allow more access to oil, natural gas and coal opportunities on federal lands,’ states the year-end report released Tuesday by the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness… ” (Andrew Restuccia, “Obama’s jobs council report says ‘Drill,'” The Hill‘s E² Wire Blog, 1/17/2012) 

GREEN GROUPS THREATENED TO ABANDON OBAMA IF HE APPROVED KEYSTONE: “Environmental groups have been protesting the pipeline that would run from Alberta oil sands to Texas refineries, and there have been rumblings that greens would abandon Obama next fall if he approved it.” (Dan Berman and Darren Goode, “Obama Punts Keystone XL Pipeline,” Politico, 11/10/2011)

If this decision to sabotage 20,000 shovel-ready American jobs while increasing American energy independence seems puzzling, consider statements from President Obama and his now-Energy Secretary Stephen Chu calling for higher gas and energy prices just a few years ago:

ENERGY SECRETARY STEPHEN CHU IN SEPTEMBER 2008: “SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE HOW TO BOOST THE PRICE OF GASOLINE TO THE LEVELS IN EUROPE”: ” ‘Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,’ Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September.”(Neil King, Jr. and Stephen Power, “Times Tough for Energy Overhaul,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/12/2008) 

OBAMA WANTED ENERGY PRICES TO “NECESSARILY SKYROCKET” UNDER HIS CAP-AND-TRADE PLAN: ” ‘Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket,’ Obama told the Chronicle. ‘Coal-powered plans, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plans were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.” (Catherine Richert, “Pence Claims that Obama said Energy Costs Will Skyrocket with a Cap-and-Trade Plan,” PolitiFact.com, 6/11/2009)