- Sat. Jul 5, 2008
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Democrats (39 votes)
Yes
"Long before the present price spike, we were advocating policies that would lessen oil dependence and pressures on its price, but we were rebuffed by the then-Republican majority."
"We've certainly done a lot more than the president, who has refused to support measures that would take away tax breaks for oil companies and halt shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ease market demand."
"It is blatantly obvious that President Bush continues to side with his Big Oil buddies rather than the American consumer."
No
"It's way past time to take on the oil companies!"
"Unless you consider nothing to be enough, then the answer is a resounding 'No!' "
"We need to invest as much money as we will spend in Iraq this year to develop alternative energy sources."
"In an election year, you can't do enough to address gas prices. But tax-holiday gimmicks aren't a solution."
"Senate Democrats need to force votes on the Senate floor on House-passed bills to crack down on oil price-gouging, hold OPEC accountable for oil price-fixing, and repeal subsidies for the Big Oil companies so we can use these funds to develop alternative energy sources."
"We don't get enough credit for raising fuel standards, investing in renewables. But we should be more aggressive in stepping into the void created by the appalling lack of leadership from the White House on an issue that hits middle-class and working people particularly hard."
"We should take as dramatic action as possible, starting with a 'windfall profits' tax, maybe including as part of that bill some allowance of drilling."
"Bush and Cheney are cartel alumni. The gas price increase happened on their watch. Democrats should be outraged and in the streets."
"We are feeding the instability that is driving up prices by failing to stop the Iraq war."
"Neither party has the ability to repeal the laws of supply and demand, which are largely driving oil prices. Having said that, neither party has done enough to ascertain the role that speculators are playing in pushing oil prices to ever-higher levels."
Republicans (42 votes)
Yes
"The way to lower gas prices is to increase our domestic energy supply. Unfortunately, liberal special-interest groups have said 'no' to virtually every solution, including clean, renewable hydropower; non-emitting nuclear power; and domestic drilling."
"Elections have consequences. The current Democrat leadership in Congress is responsible for denying exploration of domestic energy sources and promoting higher gas taxes on drivers."
"In the majority, Republicans addressed marketplace concerns while Democrats now continue to ignore supply-side realities."
"The minority has done important work not only in the past month to highlight the majority's culpability and inaction where gas prices are concerned, but also in the past with the Energy Policy Act of 2005."
"It's not the end-all, be-all solution, but there's no doubt that gas prices would be lower today had President Clinton not vetoed [drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge] in 1995."
No
"On energy, my party has an enormous opportunity. However, on messaging, our leadership has been blind, deaf, and the only dog chasing the motorcycle."
"Republicans have put forth a lot to reduce gas prices, and all efforts have been blocked, but we have not made enough noise about it."
"We had too heavy a reliance on drilling. We should have spent more time being concerned with alternative energy, but the Democrats are much, much worse. They're in a dream world about any concrete solutions."
"The president's comments foreshadowing $4 gas in March didn't help, but the Democrats' blocking increased supplies may come back to haunt them."
"No. But the Republican solutions actually will bring down prices by increasing supply, while the Democrats and extreme enviros have brought us to this crisis by opposing added capacity."
Other remarks
"We're locked out. Being in the minority, we're prohibited by the majority from arriving at sensible solutions to the current crisis. We should open ANWR. We should allow more refineries. We should reduce the number of required fuel blends."
Democrats(39 votes)
Yes, significant increase
"The less we help, the worse it gets. There is no other option but to help big-time if we want to be respected as a world leader."
"We waste so much in Iraq. The aid to poorer nations would be humane and would gain badly needed goodwill for us."
"Rather than engaging in destructive pre-emptive actions that involve the commitment of U.S. troops in protracted wars, Congress should support constructive solutions, such as increasing foreign aid to poorer nations to stave off violence and civil unrest."
"We should provide grain and seed and the resources to help people plant for next year."
"Also work internationally to increase food supplies."
"Haiti should be Stop One on this aid-increase effort."
"The U.S. should also help other countries to increase their output of food products so they won't have to continue relying on the kindness of strangers."
"And we should encourage other donor nations to do the same."
"This isn't just a humanitarian issue. It's a matter of global stability."
Yes, modest increase
"We have problems of our own here at home that need to be addressed, but we also need to do something to begin to reverse the Bush legacy of squandering America's moral authority in the world. Helping to feed poor hungry people is a good place to start."
"The U.S. already donates more money than anyone else. We cannot do it alone."
No
"We should cut our shameful farm bill subsidies that keep developing nations unable to compete."
Republicans (42 votes)
Yes, significant increase
"[Congress] should stop farm policies that keep prices artificially high, depriving millions around the world of adequate nutrition!"
Yes, modest increase
"The money does not go to the people. It ends up in the hands of the warlords."
"It should be conditions-based."
No
"Stopping use of food for fuel, market-distorting subsidies and protectionist trade policies would better aid the people in these countries."
"We should scrap the farm bill so we stop contributing to the crisis."
"Congress should re-examine the ethanol program and encourage a strong dollar, which will stabilize food prices."
"The question should not be about how much, but about how effective."
"The cost of food is rising worldwide, but the answer is not necessarily increasing the amount of aid we appropriate but rather examining if the subsidies we offer, such as for ethanol, are having unintended consequences that are driving up food prices."
"Not at this time. It is time for other leaders like China and India to step up to the plate."
"Americans can't pay their bills. Bad time to increase foreign aid."
"No increase is needed. Instead, Congress should level the agricultural playing field, stop subsidizing ethanol, and let the markets work."
"Because of bad energy policy, taxpayers are already paying higher fuel costs and higher food costs. Now they're going to have to pay for more foreign aid? I don't think so."
National Journal Insiders
National Journal's Congressional Insiders Poll includes 129 members of Congress--10 Senate Democrats, 14 Senate Republicans, 52 House Democrats, and 53 House Republicans
Democratic Congressional Insiders Sens. Sherrod Brown, Ben Cardin, Thomas Carper, Christopher Dodd, Edward Kennedy, Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Mikulski, Mark Pryor, Ken Salazar, Jon Tester; Reps. Tom Allen, Robert Andrews, Michael Arcuri, Tammy Baldwin, Melissa Bean, Xavier Becerra, Howard Berman, Marion Berry, Rick Boucher, Michael Capuano, Dennis Cardoza, Chris Carney, James Clyburn, Jim Cooper, Joseph Crowley, Elijah Cummings, Artur Davis, Diana DeGette, Rosa DeLauro, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Sam Farr, Chaka Fattah, Bob Filner, Alcee Hastings, Mike Honda, Jay Inslee, Steve Israel, Jim Langevin, John Lewis, Zoe Lofgren, Nita Lowey, Carolyn Maloney, Ed Markey, Jim McDermott, Jim McGovern, Kendrick Meek, Jim Moran, David Price, Silvestre Reyes, Jan Schakowsky, Jose Serrano, Adam Smith, John Spratt, Pete Stark, John Tanner, Ellen Tauscher, Bennie Thompson, Chris Van Hollen, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Henry Waxman, and Peter Welch.
GOP Congressional Insiders Sens. Lamar Alexander, Jim Bunning, John Cornyn, Jim DeMint, Lindsey Graham, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Johnny Isakson, Richard Lugar, Mel Martinez, Lisa Murkowski, Olympia Snowe, John Sununu, John Thune, David Vitter; Reps. Brian Bilbray, Marsha Blackburn, John Boehner, Kevin Brady, John Campbell, Chris Cannon, Eric Cantor, Michael Castle, Tom Cole, Mike Conaway, Tom Davis, John Doolittle, David Dreier, Phil English, Jeff Flake, Scott Garrett, Bob Goodlatte, Kay Granger, Doc Hastings, Pete Hoekstra, Bob Inglis, Peter King, Jack Kingston, Mark Kirk, John Kline, Ray LaHood, Dan Lungren, Kenny Marchant, Jim McCrery, Patrick McHenry, John Mica, Candice Miller, Marilyn Musgrave, Sue Myrick, Devin Nunes, Mike Pence, Tom Price, Deborah Pryce, Adam Putnam, Dave Reichert, Tom Reynolds, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Mike Rogers of Michigan, Paul Ryan, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, Christopher Shays, Adrian Smith, Mark Souder, Pat Tiberi, Fred Upton, Zach Wamp, and Joe Wilson.