Obama's Rose Garden Lecture Won't Lower The Price Of Gas Or Make Up For His Lack Of An Energy Policy
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PRESIDENT OBAMA AND FELLOW DEMOCRATS ADMIT THAT INCREASING ENERGY TAXES WON'T LOWER SKYROCKETING GAS PRICES
Deputy Assistant To The President Heather Zichal In March 2012: "Correct" That The President Is Not Arguing That Increasing Energy Taxes Would Bring Down Gas Prices. QUESTION: "The President often says there's no silver bullet to bring gas prices down in the short term, but he has called on Congress to get -- do away with subsidies for oil and gas companies. Do you guys have some kind of estimate of how, if those subsidies were gone, it would affect prices at the pump? Or is it just a fairness issue" MS. ZICHAL: "I think, from our perspective, it's a fairness issue. At this point in time, when we're making difficult decisions about the budget and where to make investments and where to cut, the fact that oil and gas companies are bringing in record profits and at the same time getting $4 billion in subsidies annually, those subsidies should be repealed. And the President has called for that and I believe the Senate will be acting soon to vote on this issue as well." Q: "And he's not arguing that people would -- there would be some kind of a connection between that and prices going down?" MS. ZICHAL: "Correct." (The White House, Press Briefing, 3/12/12)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) Admitted Raising Domestic Energy Production Taxes Would Not Lower Gas Prices. "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's attempt to raise taxes on U.S. oil companies Tuesday night would not have lowered the $4 price tag on a gallon of gasoline. I asked Mr. Reid if his legislation would lower the price at the pump, and Mr. Reid said no: 'I think that it's not going to have any effect on the price of gasoline.' The Democratic leader said he wanted lower petrol prices, but he offered no concrete solutions. 'Common sense dictates that this would do it … all I have are the quotes that it won't increase the price of gasoline,' he added, looking at his notes." (Emily Miller, "Reid: No Cheap Gas For You," The Washington Times, 5/17/11)
Sen. Reid: "So This Is A Question Of Fairness And A Question Of Priorities. Certainly A Question Of Economics. But It Is Not A Question Of Gas Prices." (Sen. Harry Reid, Remarks On The U.S. Senate Floor, Washington D.C., 5/16/11)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Acknowledged Legislation Increasing Energy Taxes Won't Decrease The Price Of Gas. "New legislation unveiled Tuesday by Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, would cut off immensely profitable companies like Shell Oil and Exxon Mobil from subsidies such as a deduction originally aimed at boosting manufacturing. The bill would also close a loophole that effectively allows oil companies to shield themselves from taxes by deducting royalties paid to foreign governments. Menendez acknowledged that the legislation - slated for a vote next week - won't do anything about gas prices exceeding $4 a gallon in many places." (Andrew Taylor, "Democrats Seek To Slash Subsidies For 'Big Oil'," The Associated Press, 5/10/11)
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): "This Was Never Intended To Talk About Lowering Prices." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 5/11/11)
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT): "You Know, This Is Not Going To Change The Price At The Gasoline Pump. That's Not The Issue. I Don't See That As An Issue At All. The Issue I See Is Who Shares." (U.S. Senate, Remarks During Senate Finance Committee Hearing, 5/12/11)
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI): "Nearly Every Independent Analyst And Even Some From The Oil Industry Itself Tells Us That This Proposal Will Not Alter The Economic Fundamentals That Determine Gasoline Prices." (Sen. Carl Levin, Remarks On The U.S. Senate Floor, Washington D.C., 5/16/11)
The Congressional Research Service Said That The Taxes Obama Wants To Raise "Would Make Oil And Natural Gas More Expensive For U.S. Consumers And Likely Increase Foreign Dependence." "The Administration estimates that the tax changes outlined in the budget proposal would provide $22.8 billion in revenues over the period 2012 to 2016, and over $43.6 billion from 2012 to 2021. These changes, if enacted by Congress, also would reduce the tax advantage enjoyed by independent oil and natural gas companies over the major oil companies. On what would likely be a small scale, the proposals also would make oil and natural gas more expensive for U.S. consumers and likely increase foreign dependence." (Robert Pirog, "Oil And Natural Gas Industry Tax Issues In The FY2012 Budget Proposal," Congressional Research Service, 3/3/11)
OBAMA'S CALL FOR HIGHER TAXES FACES OPPOSITION FROM SENATE DEMOCRATS
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) In 2012: "Wrong-Headed Approach That Pits Sectors Of The Energy Industry Against One Another In An Effort To Assign Blame For High Gas Prices." LANDRIEU: "The bill from Sen. Menendez is a wrong-headed approach that pits sectors of the energy industry against one another in an effort to assign blame for high gas prices, instead of promoting the all of the above energy strategy our country needs. … I support alternative renewable energy, but the advance of this sector cannot come at the expense of the oil and gas industry that powers our nation and supports more than 9 million jobs in the United States and more than 375,000 in Louisiana." (Bruce Alpert, "Senate To Vote On Bill To Eliminate Oil And Gas Tax Breaks," The Times-Picayune, 3/26/12)
Landrieu In 2011: "I Have Said For Months That I Am Not Supporting A Repeal Of Tax Cuts For The Oil Industry Unless There Are Other Industries That Contribute." "Some are unhappy about the specific types of companies, particularly the oil industry, that would lose tax benefits. "I have said for months that I am not supporting a repeal of tax cuts for the oil industry unless there are other industries that contribute," said Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana." (Jennifer Steinhauer, "Some Democrats Are Balking At Obama's Jobs Bill," The New York Times , 9/14/11)
Landrieu Said That The Democrats' Attempt To Raise Energy Taxes "Will Not Reduce Gasoline Prices One Penny." LANDRIEU: "But I would just like to add my strong voice to urging my colleagues to read this bill, to look at it, and understand the inherent unfairness in it, the lack of significant deficit reduction, and the fact that it will not, although it is being touted as, it will not reduce gasoline prices by one penny." (Sen. Mary Landrieu, Remarks On The U.S. Senate Floor, Washington D.C., 5/11/11)
Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) In 2012: We Should "Get On To Real Energy Legislation And Not These Political Games Of Going Back And Forth Over Legislation That Everyone Knows Is Not Going To Pass." "Begich said in an interview, as the measure was debated on the Senate floor, that the bill is nothing but a political stunt by his fellow Democrats to dump on the oil companies at a time of high gasoline prices. 'If we're going to do tax reform then everybody has to be at the table, not just selected groups because it polls well and you can beat up on them,' Begich said. Begich said the Senate Democratic majority should 'get on to real energy legislation and not these political games of going back and forth over legislation that everyone knows is not going to pass.'" (Sean Cockerham, "Alaska Sen. Begich Breaks With Democrats, Obama On Oil Tax Breaks," McClatchy Newspapers, 3/28/12)
Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) Opposed Repealing Domestic Energy Incentives And Called On Fellow Democrats To "Stop The Headline Grabbing And Get Serious About Energy Security." SEN. BEGICH: "Sadly, some of my colleagues in this body are not much better. Instead of addressing the problem with specific solutions, they are going for headlines by dragging energy company executives before committees or proposing that roadblock incentives for increased domestic energy production, some of which have been on the books for decade. Let's stop the headline grabbing and get serious about the energy security." (Sen. Mark Begich, Remarks On The U.S. Senate Floor, Washington D.C., 5/11/11)
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) Also Voted Against The Bill In A Procedural Measure. "Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana were the only other Democrats to break with their party on the bill by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ." (Sean Cockerham, "Alaska Sen. Begich Breaks With Democrats, Obama On Oil Tax Breaks," McClatchy Newspapers, 3/28/12)
Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) Warned President Obama That Repealing Domestic Energy Incentives Will Kill Jobs And Reduce Energy Production. BOREN: "We lose thousands of jobs not only in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and places like Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia. These aren't just traditional oil and gas producing states. And these tax breaks do not go to the big, major oil companies. They go to small independent companies, like we have in Oklahoma." (Fox News', "Your World With Cavuto," 4/27/11)
Boren: " Did you know a vast majority of the production in the United States comes from small independent oil and gas companies ?And the new rigs that are drilling right now in the United States, they are not Exxon Mobils of the world. They are the Devons, the Chesapeakes and even smaller companies that are based in Oklahoma that are employing, by the way, a lot of Democrats, blue-collar jobs. And the president needs to understand that." (Fox News', "Your World With Cavuto," 4/27/11)
OBAMA'S ENERGY POLICY IS A HODGEPODGE AND HIS SPENDING ON GREEN ENERGY HAS FAILED TO PRODUCE JOBS OR LOWER PRICES AT THE PUMP
Since President Obama Took Office, The Price Of A Gallon Of Regular Gasoline Has More Than Doubled, From $1.847 To $3.918. (Energy Information Administration, Accessed 3/28/12)
Obama Has Said He's Failed On Energy, Saying His Energy Policy Is Just A "Hodgepodge." OBAMA: "Our energy policy still is just a hodgepodge, and for all the progress we've made, we're not where we need to be in making sure that this is an energy-efficient economy that is running on all cylinders." (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At A DNC Event , Miami, FL, 6/13/11)
NBC News' Chuck Todd Said There's "No Issue That Has Been … A Bigger Bust For The President Than Energy Policy In General." MSNBC's CHUCK TODD: "Very quickly, president's going down to Miami to give an energy speech. Nia, you've been with me, I feel like, on the front lines covering the president from the day he took office. There is no issue that has been a, I guess, a bigger bust for the president than energy policy in general. There's a lot of, we can come up with a lot of excuses as to why, but boy, it's just like you can't - he's made no progress."
THE WASHINGTON POST'S NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON: "No, he's made no progress. I remember covering him on the campaign and he would talk about, you know, turning these manufacturing plants into wind turbine plants and it seemed to work then, but, you know, in terms of the reality and on the ground actually success during his presidency, absolutely none." (MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown," 2/23/12)
The Failure Of Obama's Green Jobs Program "Gets More Embarrassing By The Day." "The green jobs subsidy story gets more embarrassing by the day. Three years ago President Obama promised that by the end of the decade America would have five million green jobs, but so far some $90 billion in government spending has delivered very few." (Editorial, "Green Jobs Brown Out," The Wall Street Journal , 10/11/11)
Obama Said In 2008 That He Would "Solve The Energy Crisis Once And For All"
Obama In 2008: "As President, I Will Work To Solve This Energy Crisis Once And For All." OBAMA: "And as President, I will work to solve this energy crisis once and for all. We'll invest $150 billion over the next ten years in establishing a green energy sector that will create up to 5 million new jobs - and those are jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. We'll invest in clean energies like solar, wind, and biodiesel. And we'll help make sure that the fuel we're using is more efficient." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Energy Plan,, Indianapolis, IN, 4/25/08)
In 2008, Obama Said That Investments In Green Energy Would Mean "That We're Not Talking About High Fuel Prices Next Summer Or The Next Summer After That" OBAMA: "I want to invest that money in clean, affordable, renewable energy sources like wind power, and solar power, and biofuels, so that we're not talking about high fuel prices next summer or the next summer after that, or the summer after that." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Winston-Salem, NC, 4/29/08)
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