John Boehner 8TH DISCTRICT OF OHIO

Under pressure from Republicans’ coordinated effort to hold him accountable for doubling gas prices, President Obama recycled one of his go-to gimmicks to deflect blame yesterday – the “speculation” scapegoat.  The president’s transparently political ploy fell flat.   As several reports pointed out, what President Obama tried to pass off as a plan was “more politics than substance,” and won’t do anything to help ease the pain at the pump.  American families and small businesses aren’t fooled by President Obama’s empty rhetoric, and neither is anyone else…

• “Scapegoating Oil Speculators Won’t Ease Pain at the Pump… No one, least of all President Barack Obama, should expect oil or gasoline prices to fall because of the five-point plan he unveiled at the White House yesterday.” (Editorial, Bloomberg News, 4/18/12)

• “Obama’s Gas ‘Crackdown’ Will Do Little to Lower Prices… No one should imagine that this will help much at the pump, no matter how much the White House talks of the urgent imperative to protect vulnerable consumers.”(Editorial, The Washington Post, 4/18/12)

• “Obama Push on Oil Markets Seen as More Political than Practical… [W]hile a Rose Garden announcement gave the president a platform to be seen calling for action on fuel prices, it’s not clear whether financial speculation is even a major contributor to oil and gasoline prices—or whether the administration’s proposals could have any real impact on the price at the pump.” (National Journal, 4/17/12)

• “Obama’s Oil Market Plan More Politics than Substance… Announcing a high-profile crackdown on oil market manipulators might play well with voters and motorists. But it’s far from clear what impact, if any, it will have on the price they pay at the pump.” (MSNBC, 4/17/12)

• “Latest Effort to Limit the Political Fallout from High Gasoline Prices…Won’t Have A Short-Term Effect On Gasoline Prices.” “President Obama, in his latest effort to limit the political fallout from high gasoline prices, challenged Congress Tuesday to pass legislation to ensure speculators aren’t manipulating energy markets. But Obama acknowledged Tuesday that his plan to increase oversight of energy markets likely won’t have a short-term effect on gasoline prices.” (The Hill, 4/17/12)

• “Looking For Ways to Deflect the Political Pressure Over High Gas Prices,” White House “Tried to Divert the Focus to Congress and the Energy Traders...But officials did not point to any evidence that misconduct or illegal activity was on the rise or was contributing to the escalated prices.” (Los Angeles Times, 4/17/12)

• “Economist: Crackdown On ‘Oil Speculators’ Won’t Help Gas Prices… Wells Fargo Senior Economist Mark Vitner says, ‘It’s really nothing.  Nothing substantive is going to come of this.’ … But the proposal may be more about politics than policies. … Whether or not you support the president’s plan, don’t get your hopes up about relief at the pump.” (WHNT, 4/17/12)

• “The Plan Follows Daily Criticisms from Republicans that the President Isn't Doing Enough to Lower Gasoline Prices which have jumped 10% in recent months. It isn't clear what impact it would have on prices. ‘None of these steps by themselves will bring gas prices down overnight,’ Mr. Obama said.” (Wall Street Journal, 4/17/12)

• “An Election-Year Attempt to Show Action on High Gas Prices.” “In an election-year attempt to show action on high gas prices, President Obama is calling on Congress to fund new regulations to help prevent speculation in oil markets…Before the official announcement, senior administration officials were careful not to estimate the effort’s immediate impact on prices at the pump, nor did they point to any evidence of illegal oil speculation…” (The Washington Times, 4/17/12)

As Congressman Boehner said on CBS This Morning today, President Obama and Washington Democrats are “gonna pull out every bogeyman they can” to distract from their failed policies.  House Republicans remain focused on addressing high gas prices as part of the broader Plan for America’s Job Creators geared toward creating a better environment for the private-sector to grow and create jobs.  The House has passed several bills under the plan that would remove barriers to American energy production to help address gas prices and create jobs, and will continue moving additional legislation forward in the weeks ahead.  It is time for President Obama to quit playing the blame game and start working with Republicans to get these bills enacted. 

Learn more about the Plan for America’s Job Creators at jobs.gop.gov and “like” the American Energy Initiative on Facebook.

Here are three quick facts to keep in mind today as the House votes to require approval of the Keystone XL energy project, despite President Obama’s attempts to stop it:

• THREE MONTHS: Today marks three months since President Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, followed by his personal lobbying campaign against it. These efforts did not deter Nebraska; Governor Heineman signed legislation yesterday to move the pipeline forward.

• THREE YEARS: The Keystone XL pipeline was under review for more than three years. The project would create tens of thousands of new American jobs and deliver badly needed energy to refineries on the Gulf Coast, and is widely supported by the American people.

• THREE-FOURTHS: More than 3/4 of the American people closely following the news think Keystone XL should be approved. And more than 3/4 of small business owners “say rising energy prices are threatening their companies,” according to the OC Register.

Republicans have passed several “all of the above” bills to address high gas prices that remain blocked by Senate Democrats. Learn more at speaker.gov/energy and by “liking” the American Energy Initiative.

The first step to solving a problem, of course, is admitting you have one.   Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that the Obama administration’s economic policies have been “remarkably effective” and energy prices haven’t really gone up in recent months.  These comments, while absurd, are consistent with the vice president’s boast earlier this month that “our energy policy is the best it’s ever been.”  As for President Obama, who has seen gas prices more than double on his watch, he hasn’t said much at all about this issue since pushing the Senate to approve tax hikes that would actually make energy more expensive.  That was more than two weeks ago.  

Republicans are taking aim at this wall of indifference and “pounding the pocketbook energy issue,” POLITICOnotes, with an “aggressive push” for a real ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy.  Today’s Washington Post has more:

“…House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) wants the spring legislative session to focus on several bills to allow more domestic energy exploration, believing that the issue has become an Achilles’ heel for President Obama. … Starting this week, the House GOP will try to push a temporary highway funding bill that includes mandatory approval of construction of the Keystone energy pipeline, setting up a negotiation showdown with the Senate.  In addition, committees are moving bills that would freeze regulations on refineries and also forbid Obama from releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to keep costs down, a move that Republicans say would only be done for political expediency as the November election draws near.

“[GOP pollster David Winston’s] most recent poll … shows that congressional Republicans hold a seven-point edge, 48 percent to 41 percent, over Obama on how they are handling the energy issue.  More importantly, independent voters side with Republicans, 47 percent to 32 percent, by a wider margin.”  

Republicans’ months-long energy push, according to The Hill, has included “a steady stream of speeches, television interviews and press events.”  Here are just a few ways to get caught up: 

• Read the bills the Energy & Commerce Committee will consider this week as part of the American Energy Initiative.  These proposals, The Hill reports, are “aimed at expanding domestic oil-and-gas leasing and ensuring that federal environmental regulations don’t raise prices at the pump.”  The panel’s chairman, Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), previewed these measures in the Weekly Republican Address. 

• Take a look at events House Republicans have been holding outside the Beltway and around the country to highlight the need for a real ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy.   Rep. Robert Hurt (R-VA), for instance, toured small businesses in his district to “get his finger on the pulse on what's going on.”

• Check out this Facebook status update in which Congressman Boehner talks about this week’s American Energy Initiative bills as part of Republicans’ commitment to removing government barriers to private-sector job creation. Learn more at Speaker.gov/energy.

Up on Facebook today is a status update from Congressman John Boehner previewing this week’s vote on the Small Business Tax Cut Act, a Pledge to America bill that gives struggling small businesses a 20 percent tax cut to help boost job growth. In the status update, Boehner contrasts Republicans’ focus on jobs and gas prices with President Obama’s ongoing campaign for tax hikes.

On NBC’s Meet the Press, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner claimed President Obama’s policies have been “remarkably effective.” But the fact is the administration has only made it harder for small businesses to hire new workers. And instead of talking about jobs, the president is pushing higher taxes.

Both the Small Business Tax Cut Act and the GOP American Energy Initiative are efforts by House Republicans to reverse the president’s ‘stimulus’-style policies and help small businesses grow and hire new workers. Here are a couple excerpts from Boehner’s message this morning:

ON THE SMALL BUSINESS TAX CUT ACT: “In the Pledge to America, Republicans promised to allow small business owners to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their business income. The Small Business Tax Cut Act makes good on that pledge, and will give more than 22 million small businesses with fewer than 500 employees a much-needed infusion of capital.”

ON THE AMERICAN ENERGY INITIATIVE: “[W]e launched the American Energy Initiative, a Pledge-based plan focused on removing barriers to energy production and stopping policies that drive up gas prices. And in the coming weeks we’ll vote on additional legislation to expand production and approve the Keystone XL pipeline blocked by the White House.”

ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN FOR TAX HIKES: “The Democratic-controlled Senate refuses to vote on most of these [House-passed] jobs bills. And the president isn’t urging them to act – he’s more focused on tax hikes than jobs. In fact, President Obama’s much-touted ‘Buffett Tax’ has been called everything from a ‘sham’ to a ‘hoax’ to ‘total gimmickry.’ Why? Because it won’t do a single thing to create jobs, address our debt, or lower gas prices.”

Read the full status update here. And visit jobs.GOP.gov for more information on the Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators, and click here for a full list of House-passed jobs bills that are still stuck in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

President Obama’s decision to reject and personally lobby against the popular Keystone XL pipeline – and tens of thousands of new American jobs – is already having real world consequences for the American people … and real world benefits for countries like China.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Canadian leaders are acting quickly to “bypass” the United States, building the infrastructure needed to ship their energy (and new jobs) to Asian countries:

“Currently, almost all Canadian crude exports travel to the U.S. … Canadian government officials, meanwhile, have boosted support for westward-flowing pipelines in order to diversify toward Asian markets. That effort accelerated after the White House earlier this year rejected a big pipeline-expansion project, TransCanada Corp.'s TRP -0.86% Keystone XL, which would have sent more Alberta crude south of the border.”

In other words, energy and jobs that would have benefited American families and small businesses will now be shipped overseas – courtesy the Obama administration.

While Canadian leaders are removing barriers to their country’s economy growth, our president and his administration are busy erecting new ones. All week long, President Obama has wasted time pushing a “farce” of a tax hike that would “discourage investment — and the jobs and growth that come with it.”

Gas prices have already doubled on President Obama’s watch, and the president’s policies are making it harder for small businesses to hire new workers. Thankfully, the state of Nebraska is taking action (without the Obama administration) to make the Keystone pipeline a reality. And in the coming weeks, the House will vote again to insist on swift approval of Keystone XL.

The Keystone project is an important part of the Republican American Energy Initiative, which is focused on expanding American energy production, stopping policies that drive up gas prices, and helping create new American jobs. Learn more on speaker.gov/energy and jobs.GOP.gov.

In a new video out today, we look back at the time President Obama asked FOX News’ Ed Henry, “just from a political perspective, do you think the president of the United States going into re-election wants gas prices to go up higher?” Gas prices were $3.76 that day. Since then, the president hasn’t done a thing to stop their steady march to nearly $4.

Instead, he’s wasted time pushing various tax hikes that would – at best – do nothing to create jobs or lower gas prices, and at worst would make gas even more expensive.

Congressman John Boehner argues that high gas prices – which have doubled on President Obama’s watch – are hurting families and small businesses, “and the president’s policies have only made things worse.” Watch Boehner here:

While the Obama administration has spent three years blocking energy production and lobbying against popular projects like Keystone XL, Republicans have promoted an “all of the above” strategy to create new jobs and address high gas prices.

Click here for a list of House-passed energy bills that are stuck in the Democratic-controlled Senate. And don’t forget to “Like” the American Energy Initiative on Facebook and stay up-to-date on the latest efforts by House Republicans to remove government barriers to energy production, stop policies that drive up energy costs, and help create jobs.

An ABC News / Washington Post survey found “62 percent of Americans disapprove of the president’s performance on gasoline prices,” and “[f]ifty percent disapprove ‘strongly,’ an unusual level of strong disapproval on any issue.” This updated interactive chart might help explain why …

As you can see, the national average for a gallon of gas has more than doubled from $1.85 to nearly $4 on President Obama’s watch. And yet today the president is touting a tax hike that won’t help create jobs or lower gas prices (but it is dividing Democrats). This disconnect is another example of the “Obama Gap” on energy.

While Democrats are ignoring jobs and gas prices, Congressman John Boehner will “take aim at President Obama’s energy policies” today and urge the president “to throw his support behind GOP-backed legislation to expand domestic oil-and-gas production, among other things,” according to The Hill.

Republicans have passed several American Energy Initiative bills to remove barriers to energy production and stop policies that drive up gas prices. See the list of House-passed energy bills here.

Click here for our original chart and here for comprehensive list of anti-energy actions taken by the Obama administration. And note that if you embed this new version on your website, it will update automatically in the future as we track the president’s policies and their impact on gas prices.

Even with the American people clamoring for bipartisan solutions to their struggles, President Obama today is pushing higher taxes that won’t create a single job, aren’t the answer to our debt crisis, obviously won’t lower gas prices, and oh, by the way, just happen to divide even Democrats.  There’s already evidence that it’s falling on deaf ears.

Families and small businesses are struggling to make ends meet, and what they want are more jobs, less debt, lower gas prices, and more affordable health care premiums.  Instead, their cost of living keeps rising while their incomes are not.  A White House that wasn’t so out of touch might focus on the issues that matter, like the following:

• 38 Straight Months of 8+ Percent Unemployment.  The White House famously promised that its ‘stimulus’ plan would keep the unemployment rate below eight percent.  But three years of ‘stimulus’ spending have left our country with 38 consecutive months of unemployment above eight percent, where it remains today.

• Another $5 Trillion in Debt.  The president has not only “failed to meet his pledge to cut the deficit in half,” his ‘stimulus’ spending spree has racked up more debt than any president in history, including “four straight years of trillion-dollar-plus deficits.”  In total, the president has added nearly $5 trillion to the debt since he took office, according to the Treasury Department.

• Gas Prices More than Doubled.  Gas prices have more than doubled – now at $3.94 per gallon nationally – on President Obama’s watch. The president’s budget fails to do “all of the above” as promised and continues the policy of blocking, delaying, and rejecting new energy production. He is also pushing for tax hikes that would make gasoline even more expensive.

• Health Care Costs Continue to Rise.  Despite the president’s rhetoric, his own Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says that Obamacare will dramatically increase the near-term growth rate of health care costs, and the Kaiser Family Foundation says that “employers’ spending on health coverage for workers spiked abruptly.”  Even worse, the law is making it more difficult for small businesses to hire new workers and grow their business.

The economic policies of President Obama have not only not helped our economy but they have actually made it worse.  As Congressman Boehner said recently:

“Our country faces serious economic and fiscal challenges.  Americans continue to be disappointed that the president is shrinking from those challenges rather than displaying the courage needed to solve them.”

House Republicans are focused on the issues that matter, and have passed nearly 30 bills as part of the Plan for America’s Job Creators and American Energy Initiative that would unlock America’s resources to help address soaring gas prices and create American jobs.  Follow the progress of these bipartisan, House-passed jobs bills at jobs.gop.gov, and “like” the American Energy Initiative on Facebook to learn more about Republicans’ ongoing effort to help relieve the pain at the pump.

Republicans “will continue their coordinated messaging blitz” across the country this week holding President Obama accountable for the consequences of his anti-energy policies and promoting a real “all of the above” strategy to address high gas prices and create new jobs.

Energy production on federal land has declined by seven percent under the Obama administration and gas prices have doubled. In a recent Weekly Republican Address, Congressman John Boehner challenged President Obama to urge Senate Democrats to act on House-passed energy bills. These bills – all part of the American Energy Initiative– would increase production, stop policies that drive up gas prices, and create jobs. Here’s a quick look at theAmerican Energy Initiative bills passed by the House so far:

• Energy Tax Prevention Act (H.R. 910) – Passed the House on 4/7/11 by 255-172 – would prevent the Obama administration from imposing a job-crushing “cap and trade” national energy tax that will drive up gasoline prices and destroy American jobs.

• Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act (H.R. 1230) – Passed the House on 5/5/11 by 266-149 – requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Virginia that have been delayed or canceled by the Obama Administration.

• Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act (H.R. 1229) – Passed the House on 5/11/11 by 263-163 – would end the de facto moratorium on American energy production in the Gulf of Mexico in a safe and transparent manner by setting firm timelines for considering new drilling permits.

• Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act (H.R. 1231) – Passed the House on 5/12/11 by 243-179 – would lift the president’s ban on new offshore drilling by allowing new production to go forward in areas containing the most oil and natural gas resources.

• Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011 (H.R. 2021) – Passed the House on 6/22/11 by 253-166 – would help end permitting delays by the Obama administration and unlock access to an estimated 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in Alaska.

• North American-Made Energy Security Act (H.R. 1938) – Passed the House on 7/26/11 by 279-147 – would have required a decision by President Obama on the popular Keystone XL pipeline, which he eventually rejected and personally lobbied Democratic Senators to oppose.

• Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act (H.R. 2401) – Passed the House on 9/23/11 by 249-169 - would require a study of the cumulative impacts of Obama administration rules on jobs, energy prices, and electric reliability, and would stop implementation of two of the most damaging rules for coal and coal-fired power.

• Protecting Next Generation Energy Security (PIONEERS) Act (H.R. 3408) – Passed the House on 2/9/12 by 237-187 – would set clear rules and remove regulatory barriers preventing the production of U.S. oil shale, offshore, and ANWR resources.

• Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act (H.R. 2842) – Passed the House on 3/7/12 by 265-154 – “would help expand production of clean, renewable hydropower by cutting red tape and getting government out of the way,” as Congressman Boehner said.

The “Gas numbers game is a loser,” for President Obama, today’s Washington Times reports, and it’s easy to see why.  Gas prices have more than doubled on President Obama’s watch, already reaching a record high of $3.94 for the month of April.  While the president has tried to make the case that he supports Republicans’ “all-of-the-above” energy policy, his rhetoric is belied by the facts that suggest otherwise.  Here’s a by-the-numbers look at how the gap between President Obama’s words and actions has driven up gas prices, taken a toll on American families and small businesses and cost jobs: 

• $2.09: Increase in the Average Gas Price Since President Obama Took Office.  The average price for a gallon of gasoline was $1.85 when President Obama took office.   After more than three years of blocking American energy production and rolling out more red tape on energy producers, the average gas price has more than doubled to $3.94. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 4/5/12)

• $3.94: Record High Gas Price for the Month of April. After climbing higher and faster than ever, gas prices reached $3.94 this week – “the highest price recorded in April,” ABC News reports. 

• 9.3%: Increase in the Average Gas Price Since Last Year.  Gas prices are up an average of 9.3 percent compared to this week last year, when the average price was $3.68 per gallon. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 4/5/12)

• 10: Number of States Struggling with Gas Prices Higher than $4 Per Gallon.  According to the most recentAAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, there are already 10 states struggling with gas prices exceeding $4 per gallon, and an additional 13 states within a dime of $4 per gallon gas. 

• 14%: Drop In Oil Production on Federal Lands.  The Obama Administration’s Energy Information Administration recently confirmed “that from 2010 to 2011, federal oil production fell by 14 percent,” the House Natural Resources Committee reports. 

• 11%: Drop in Natural Gas Production on Federal Lands.  The Natural Resources Committee also notes that natural gas production on federal land has declined 11 percent from 2010 to 2011. 

• 65%: Americans Disapproving of the Way President Obama Is Handling Rising Gas Prices. According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post survey, “nearly two-thirds of Americans say they disapprove of the way the president is handling the situation at the pump, where rising prices have already hit hard. … Most Americans say higher prices are already taking a toll on family finances, and nearly half say they think that prices will continue to rise, and stay high.”

• 71%: Americans Experiencing Financial Hardship Due to Rising Gas Prices. A recent CNN/ORC International survey found that “seven in ten Americans said rising prices have caused hardship for them and their families, with nearly half saying the prices will rise to five dollars a gallon some time this year.”

• 97%: Area of the Outer Continental Shelf Off Limits to More American Energy Production Under the Obama Administration. In November of last year, the Obama administration issued a draft plan that imposes a five-year moratorium on the most energy-rich areas of the United States.  According to a Townhall report, “The Obama Administration’s recent offshore drilling plan codifies the White House’s anti-energy, anti-jobs position. The Obama 2012-2017 draft drilling plan closes a majority of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to new energy production. In fact, less than 3 percent of America’s OCS will be available for development.”

• $45 Billion: Tax Hike on American Energy Production in the President’s Budget. According to the Natural Resources Committee, “President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget requests increase taxes by $45 billion for American energy production.”

• 180,000: Number of Jobs Put in Jeopardy by New Obama Administration Energy Regulations.  Speaker Boehner recently wrote to President Obama urging him to reconsider a host of excessive new energy regulations that will cost an estimated 180,000 jobs and shut down 12 percent of America’s coal-fired energy production.  Across the United Sates, the Obama administration’s onslaught of excessive new regulations is already putting energy plants out of business, and more Americans out of the job. 

• Nearly 1.2 Million: Number of New Jobs Blocked by President Obama’s Moratorium on Outer Continental Shelf Energy [OCS] Production.  Louisiana State University professor Dr. Joseph R. Mason estimates that an increase in energy production on the OCS would create an estimated 1.19 million new American jobs.

House Republicans have passed nearly 30 bills as part of the Plan for America’s Job Creators and American Energy Initiative that would unlock America’s resources to help address soaring gas prices and create American jobs.  If the president is serious about showing the American people his “all-of-the-above” rhetoric is more about policy than politics, he should call on Senate Democrats to act on these bills so they can be enacted immediately.  Follow the progress of these bipartisan, House-passed jobs bills at jobs.gop.gov, and “like” the American Energy Initiative on Facebook to learn more about Republicans’ ongoing effort to help relieve the pain at the pump.