Republican National Committee Release - 51 2006 Demenergy

THE COST TO AMERICAN FAMILIES IF DEMS HAD THEIR WAY Democrats Have Favored Initiatives That Would Raise Gas Prices $955 Per Year For American Families: Based On Average Gas Prices And Vehicle Usage, A Family With Two Vehicles Currently Spends More Than $3,200 On Gas A Year. (AAA Website, www.aaapa.org/pdfs, Accessed 4/27/06; Energy Information Administration Website, www.eia.doe.gov, Accessed 4/27/06)

If Democrats Had Their Way, American Families Would Be Spending An Additional $955 On Gasoline Each Year: The 1993 Clinton Btu Tax Would Have Increased The Price Of A Gallon Of Gasoline By Six Percent. At Today’s Average Price That Is A 17.5 Cent Increase Per Gallon, Or $192.50 A Year For A Family With Two Vehicles. (Robert Reischauer, Committee On Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 2/24/93; Energy Information Administration Website, www.eia.doe.gov, Accessed 4/27/06; AAA Website, www.aaapa.org/pdfs, Accessed 4/27/06)

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In 1993, 53 Senate Democrats And 218 House Democrats Supported The Clinton Btu Tax. (S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #40: Rejected 46-53: R 43-0; D 3-53, 3/18/93; H.R. 2264, CQ Vote #199: Passed 219-213: R 0-175; D 218-38; I 1-0, 5/27/93)

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Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): “Personally, Mr. President, I think that the Btu tax was a fine idea even though some of my colleagues might disagree.” (Sen. Harry Reid, Congressional Record, 7/16/93, p. S8852)

In 1993, 50 Senate Democrats And 217 House Democrats Voted To Increase Gasoline Taxes By 4.3 Cents Per Gallon, Costing A Family With Two Vehicles An Additional $47.30 A Year. (H.R. 2264, CQ Vote #247: Adopted 51-50: R 0-44; D 50-6, With Vice President Al Gore Casting The Tie-Breaking Vote, 8/6/93; H.R. 2264, CQ Vote #406: Adopted 218-216: R 0-175; D 217-41; I 1-0, 8/5/93; AAA Website, www.aaapa.org/pdfs, Accessed 4/27/06)

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“Sen. John F. Kerry Has Said He Was ‘Very Proud’ Of His Vote To Increase The [Gas] Tax By 4.3 Cents Per Gallon …” (Michael Kranish, “GOP Sees Momentum For Gas Tax Cut,” The Boston Globe, 5/4/96)

The Kyoto Treaty Would Add 65 Cents To The Price Of A Gallon Of Gasoline, Or A Total Of $715 A Year For A Family With Two Vehicles. (Bernard J. Wolfson, “Study: Global Warming Treaty To Spike Energy Costs,” Boston Herald, 6/26/98; AAA Website, www.aaapa.org/pdfs, Accessed 4/27/06)

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Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): “[W]ith a sense of continued disappointment and dismay I read accounts of the administration’s performance at the recent international climate change meetings in Montreal, Canada. The President has been crystal clear in his complete rejection of the Kyoto Protocol treaty that all other major industrialized nations have signed, except the United States and Australia... ” (Sen. Harry Reid, Congressional Record, 12/19/05, p. S14024) Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. 310 First Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 – www.gop.com

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “When the Kyoto Protocol enters into force tomorrow, the world will take a significant and long-awaited first step toward stemming global warming. Instead of stepping forward as the world leader on climate change, however, the Bush Administration is clinging to the role of world obstructionist. In defiance of the overwhelming evidence of global warming, the Bush Administration has rejected the Kyoto Protocol and international cooperation.” (Rep. Nancy Pelosi, “Rep. Pelosi: ‘Bush Administration Clinging To Role Of World Obstructionist On Climate Change’,” Press Release, 2/15/05)

So, If Democrats Had Their Way, American Families Would Be Paying Nearly $4,200 For Gasoline Each Year, 30 Percent More Than They Do Today. (AAA Website, www.aaapa.org/pdfs, Accessed 4/27/06; Bernard J. Wolfson, “Study: Global Warming Treaty To Spike Energy Costs,” Boston Herald, 6/26/98; H.R. 2264, CQ Vote #247: Adopted 51-50: R 0-44; D 50-6, With Vice President Al Gore Casting The Tie-Breaking Vote, 8/6/93; H.R. 2264, CQ Vote #406: Adopted 218-216: R 0-175; D 217-41; I 1-0, 8/5/93; Robert Reischauer, Committee On Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 2/24/93)

On Top Of That, Democrats’ Windfall Profits Tax Could Cost Americans An Additional $287 Per Year: “Democrats Have Also Suggested Reinstituting A Windfall-Profits Tax On Oil Companies …” (Alex Daniels, “Pryor Urges Lifting Gas Tax For 60 Days,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 4/26/06)

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Robert Shapiro, Under Secretary Of Commerce For Economic Affairs In The Clinton Administration, Said A Windfall Profits Tax Could Cost Americans $287 A Year. “More than 40% of that cost would fall on tens of millions of savers and retirees who own oil stocks directly or indirectly through their pension plans or retirement accounts. … [A] windfall profits tax would take back an average of $8.7 billion to $50 billion a year … from pension and retirement saving holdings. That comes out to between $50 and $287 per account per year.” (Robert Shapiro, Op-Ed, “Making A Scapegoat Out Of A Windfall,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/8/05)

President Bush Has Promised To Veto Dems’ Windfall Tax Increase: President Bush Threatened To Veto A Bill That Included Any Increase In Taxes On The Oil Companies. “The Senate bill has also proposed two revenue-raising measures that Mr. Bush has threatened to veto: a one-year, $5-billion tax on major oil companies and a provision that would make it easier to impose steep penalties on people caught using illegal tax shelters.” (Edmund L. Andrews, “Republicans Are Deeply Split Over How to Apportion New Tax Cuts,” The New York Times, 11/26/05)

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Secretary of Energy, Samuel Bodman: “[T]here is no way that we would support a windfall profits tax.” (CNBC’s “Kudlow & Company,” 11/7/05)

Past Democrat Rhetoric On Gas Taxes And Prices Shows Lack Of Desire To Help Americans At The Pump: Sen. Reid Urged Senate Not To Roll Back The Gas Tax: “I hope the Senate, in a bipartisan fashion, will resoundingly defeat this effort to roll back this 4.3-cents-a-gallon gas tax.” (Sen. Harry Reid, Congressional Record, 3/30/00, p. S1926) •

Sen. Reid Also Called The Effort “[C]osmetic In Nature Only And … Certainly Not Even A Short-Term Fix” To High Gas Prices. (Sen. Harry Reid, Congressional Record, 4/10/00, p. S2449)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Said Reducing Gas Tax Would Not Benefit Consumers: “[T]here is no way to guarantee that a reduction in the federal gasoline tax will be passed on to consumers. Why is this? Because price is a function of supply and demand, not taxes.” (Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Congressional Record, 4/11/00, p. S2500) Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Said Suspending The Gas Tax “Would Be A Mistake.” (“Midday Update,” CQ Daily Monitor, 3/28/00 ) Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) Called Gas Tax Holiday “No Way To Conduct Fiscal Policy.” (Sen. Max Baucus, Congressional Record, 7/13/00, p. S6625)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Said “4.3 Gas Tax Cut Will Do Essentially Nothing For Anyone.” (Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Congressional Record, 4/11/00, p. S2497)

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. 310 First Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 – www.gop.com