Senator Sam Brownback On Barack Obama And Gas Prices

"You got a difference of opinion between John McCain and Barack Obama. John McCain, he's for pulling off the federal gas tax and having a holiday. Barack Obama says well the prices are high and my only objection is they went up too fast'. That's a big difference of opinion and this is the big issue staring at the country, these gasoline prices." -- Senator Brownback

Senator Sam Brownback
MSNBC
June 12, 2008

Senator Sam Brownback: "I think the real key issue here that we're going to be talking about a whole lot going into this fall are energy prices and gasoline. You got a difference of opinion between John McCain and Barack Obama. John McCain, he's for pulling off the federal gas tax and having a holiday. Barack Obama says well the prices are high and my only objection is they went up too fast'. That's a big difference of opinion and this is the big issue staring at the country, these gasoline prices. You're going to have a difference of opinion between these two candidates on that. I know the country favors John McCain on this opinion."

MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell: "But doesn't John McCain have a problem when it comes to perception, when you look at tax policy? The Obama camp keeps hammering him on tax cuts for the wealthy. Given the economy, given people being really pressed on energy costs, aren't most voters going to respond more to that message than to the message of tax cuts to the rich and corporations?

Brownback: "I don't know anybody that thinks a gasoline tax cut is a tax cut for the rich. As I'm doing town halls across my state, this is the number one topic by a long distance, and everybody's saying we're paying too much for gas, and they don't consider that a tax cut for the rich."

Mitchell: "I was talking more about the other Bush tax cuts that John McCain has supported. The gas tax holiday, at least a lot of voters in Indiana, in the Democratic primary, thought that it was not more than a band aid. That it was a gimmick and they pretty much rejected the idea."

Brownback: "Well, I tell you what, you take off that much money off of a gallon of gas right now and I think people will be cheering you and carrying you on their shoulders. People are fed up with these high prices. We're going to have to do more drilling to get more supply out here. You've got Barack Obama pushing the windfall profits tax, which might feel good, but is only going to drive up the price of gasoline. John McCain is on the other side saying you don't get something cheaper by taxing it more. I think you're going to see a clear difference on this and this is a big, driving issue and going to be in this country. If we start getting $4.50 a gallon for gasoline, people are going to be saying what are you going to do now and in the future to get these prices down. These candidates are very different on gasoline."

Watch Senator Brownback

Democrats Work Against Gas Price Relief

While Americans are struggling to keep their vehicles fueled without breaking the bank, Democrats in Congress have promoted a string of legislation that would increase the cost of gas for consumers. "Americans are paying record prices for gas, and Democrats are working in the opposite direction of relief," says Libertarian Party spokesperson Andrew Davis.

"It's either incredibly bad timing, or Democrats forgot what they learned in Econ. 101," Davis continues. "There really is no other explanation for the recent bills that Democrats have proposed, which all would increase the already soaring fuel costs for Americans. We need to work towards lowering prices by increasing our domestic production of oil and through allowing the free market to balance itself out. What we do not need, and what Democrats have proposed, is limiting the use of our natural resources and slapping oil companies with more taxes and regulations."

Yesterday, House Democrats in subcommittee blocked a proposal to explore U.S. waters for oil. The Libertarian Party also points to Democrat-sponsored legislation as policies that would all increase fuel prices. Such bills include the Lieberman-Warner Climate Securities Act, which could potentially raise gas prices by 29 percent, and a proposal by Senate Democrats to add a 25 percent tax on major U.S. oil companies for what Democrats consider to be "unreasonable" profits.

"Punishing companies for making a profit by slapping them with a monstrous tax is both anti-American and the wrong way to bring relief to consumers at the gas pump," says Davis.

The Libertarian Party emphasizes free market solutions to America's growing energy problems by allowing for greater exploration and harvesting of natural resources, and lifting regulations on oil companies that inhibit oil production.

"The typical inclination for people in crisis is to look to the government for answers that come in the form of additional regulations," says Davis. "This is the wrong approach towards better energy policies. While higher oil prices are temporary, the damage caused by government intervention in the marketplace is many times permanent."

McCain - Senator McConnell On Barack Obama's "Gradual Adjustment" To Higher Gas Prices

"Their presidential nominee even admits it. He says the high price of gas isn't the problem. The problem, he says, is that prices went up too quickly." -- Senator Mitch McConnell

Senator Mitch McConnell
Washington, D.C.
June 12, 2008

Senator Mitch McConnell: "Their presidential nominee even admits it. He says the high price of gas isn't the problem. The problem, he says, is that prices went up too quickly. If he had his way, he would have raised prices but much more slowly. He would have preferred that gas prices go up much more slowly than the $1 increase we've seen under this new Democratic Congress over the past year. He would have preferred they go up more slowly than the astonishing $1.73 increase per gallon of gasoline we've seen in just the 17 months since Democrats took over Congress in January 2007. As the Democratic nominee put it in an interview earlier this week, he would have preferred a gradual adjustment in gas prices, presumably so Americans wouldn't notice the shock of it all.


"We used to think $4-a-gallon gasoline was simply unthinkable. Our friends on the other side were apparently thinking about it all along. I think I would have preferred a gradual readjustment, said the Democratic nominee."

Watch Senator McConnell.

Watch Barack Obama's "Gradual Adjustment" Comment.

Cut Gas Prices by Developing America’s Energy Resources, Says Bob Barr

The average price of gasoline has risen to $3.98, the highest price ever. America must develop more of its abundant energy resources, says Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president.

Prices are high for many reasons, explains Barr. “Several are self-inflicted, such as refusing to produce more energy in America,” he points out. For instance, America’s Outer Continental Shelf has been estimated to contain 86 billion barrels of oil. Careful drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could yield a million barrels a day.

“We can protect the environment as we look for more energy,” says Barr. In fact, environmental groups like the Audubon Society long have produced oil and natural gas on their own reserves.

“Relaxing restrictions on development will grow even more important in the future, as it becomes feasible to develop unconventional petroleum resources,” he explains. For instance, deposits of oil shale could yield nearly two trillion barrels of recoverable petroleum.

With “rising energy prices causing Americans enormous economic pain, it makes no sense for the government to lock up America’s resources,” says Barr. “Congress should reject the advice of special interest groups and put the energy needs of all Americans first.”

Romney: FACT CHECK: ARKANSAS VOTERS DID NOT APPROVE OF GOV. HUCKABEE'S GAS TAX HIKE

Despite His Claims, Arkansans Did Not Vote Themselves A Tax Hike
"Huckabee claimed a gasoline tax was only passed after 80 percent of voters approved it. Not true. The tax was enacted before a referendum vote on highway repairs." – Factcheck.org ("Huckabee's Fiscal Record," Factcheck.org, 11/21/07)

Gov. Huckabee Has Repeatedly Claimed That 80% Of Arkansas Voters Approved A Gas Tax:
On NBC's Meet The Press Yesterday, Gov. Huckabee Claimed That Arkansas Voters Supported A Tax For Highway Improvement. GOV. HUCKABEE: "He made claims about things like tax increases, but he failed to mention that some of those were either court-ordered or they were voted on by the people and approved by the people for things as roads." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 12/30/07)

On Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, Gov. Huckabee Said That 80% Of Arkansas Taxpayers Voted For A Gas Tax Hike. FOX NEWS' SEAN HANNITY: "You did support some tax increases, but some tax cuts. Can you explain that?" HUCKABEE: "Yes, I did. Certainly, there was an issue that involved road building and infrastructure on roads and bridges, and I did support that. … When we put that out there for the people to decide whether they wanted to affirm it, they did by an 80 percent vote, I would call that leadership." (Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes," 11/15/07)
On ABC's This Week, Gov. Huckabee Also Claimed That Voters Approved The Gas Tax Hike. ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "But you did raise those other taxes." HUCKABEE: "Well, here's what we did. On the gas tax, yeah, you know what we did? We put it on the ballot and 80 percent of the people of Arkansas voted for those fuel taxes because they wanted better roads." (ABC's "This Week," 2/11/07)

Gov. Huckabee's Campaign Chair Repeated The Claim This Morning On C-SPAN. ED ROLLINS: "And he – now he's being attacked for things like fixing the roads. The voters of Arkansas had the worst roads in the country according to 'Trucking' magazine. Truckers didn't want to go into the state. He went to the voters and he said, we have got these terrible roads. I'm going to give you an opportunity to vote a three-cent-a-gallon tax to fix the roads…" (C-SPAN's "Washington Journal," 12/31/07)

In Fact, Gov. Huckabee's Own Gubernatorial Website Contradicts The Story He's Telling Now:
In 2005, Gov. Huckabee's Website Said That The People Did Not Vote For The 1999 Fuel Tax. "The people did not vote on any of the taxes dedicated to repay these bonds. Federal gas and diesel taxes are passed and implemented by Congress, and the state funds to repay these bonds are coming from the diesel tax increase passed and implemented by the state legislature in 1999." (Gov. Mike Huckabee, "Setting The Record Straight," Press Release, 11/30/05, http://web.archive.org/web/20060926201257/www.arkansas.gov/governor/media/gems/11302005-1.html, Accessed 11/13/07)

Gov. Huckabee Has Been Misleading On The Issue:

Factcheck.org: "Not True." "Huckabee claimed a gasoline tax was only passed after 80 percent of voters approved it. Not true. The tax was enacted before a referendum vote on highway repairs." ("Huckabee's Fiscal Record," Factcheck.org, 11/21/07)

The Club For Growth Called Out Gov. Huckabee For His Misleading Statements On The Gas Tax. "While Huckabee repeatedly claims that 80% of Arkansas voters approved the gas and diesel fuel tax increases that he backed, the frequency of his repetition of this claim does not make it true. In fact, the claim is false. The Arkansas Legislature passed two bills in March of 1999 to pay for transportation projects, a gas and fuel tax hike, not subject to voter approval, and a bond issue that was contingent on voter approval. Huckabee signed the gas and diesel fuel tax increases into law on April 1, 1999; the tax hikes began taking effect that day." (Club For Growth, "Updated Huckabee White Paper," 11/13/07)

Gov. Huckabee Compromised With Democrats And De-Linked The Gas Tax From A Bond Issue:

Gov. Huckabee Agreed To A Diesel And Gasoline Tax Increase Even If His Bond Proposal Was Voted Down By The People. "But Huckabee on Thursday endorsed legislation that would impose a 3-cent tax increase on both diesel and gasoline - regardless of how the Governor's bond program fares." (David A. Lieb, "Dozen Republicans Split From Huckabee, Propose Alternative Highway Plan," The Associated Press, 2/26/99)

Gov. Huckabee's Compromise Plan Included "A Gasoline Tax Increase That Would Not Be Referred To Voters." "Gov. Mike Huckabee gave his blessing Thursday to an overhaul of his proposals for interstate repairs by including a gasoline tax increase that would not be referred to voters." (Noel E. Oman, "Huckabee Fits," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/26/99)

In April 1999, Gov. Huckabee Signed Legislation Increasing Gas Taxes WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL:

"The Fuel Taxes Were Signed Into Law By Huckabee And Do Not Have To Go A Statewide Vote." "The bond issue is part of a highway package backed by Gov. Mike Huckabee that also includes a 4-cent diesel tax, to be phased in over two years, tax and 3-cent gas tax, to be phased in over three years. The fuel taxes were signed into law by Huckabee and do not have to go a statewide vote." ("Capitol Briefs," The Associated Press, 4/6/99)

The Vote On The Bond Proposal Was Not Tied To The Diesel And Fuel Taxes. "Although a tax increase is in the bond plan, voter approval of the bonds did not raise or lower any tax. Huckabee and the Legislature had already done that during the 1999 legislative session. They raised the diesel fuel tax 4 cents per gallon, earmarking part of that revenue to finance the bonds." (Ray Pierce And Elizabeth Caldwell, "Road Bond Issue Scores Big Win With Arkansans," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6/16/99)

Gov. Huckabee Signed Legislation Increasing Diesel And Fuel Taxes, While Separately Issuing $575 Million Worth Of Bonds Depending Upon Voters Approval. "Gov. Mike Huckabee signed into law Thursday legislation to raise fuel taxes by $60 million a year and issue bonds worth $575 million to pay for Arkansas' first major road program since 1991. Diesel taxes go up immediately and the gasoline tax increase takes effect July 1, two weeks after voters decide whether to approve the bond issue intended to speed up repairs on the poorest stretches of interstates across the state." (James Jefferson, "Governor Signs Bills Raising Taxes, Bonds For Highway Program," The Associated Press, 4/1/99)

The People Would Have The Chance To Vote On JUST The Bond Proposal In June Of 1999. "Huckabee also set a June 15 special election for voters to decide whether to approve the bond issue, which is intended to speed up repairs on the poorest stretches of interstates across the state." (James Jefferson, "Governor Signs Bills Raising Taxes, Bonds For Highway Program," The Associated Press, 4/2/99)

In June 1999, Arkansans Voted 80% For The Highway Bond Proposal, NOT A Gas Tax:
The Vote On The Bond Proposal Would Not Impact The Tax Increases. "Voting on the bond issue would not change state tax rates. The legislature raised fuel taxes this year - 4 cents a gallon on diesel over two years, 3 cents a gallon on gasoline over three years - to hasten repairs on secondary highways and local roads." (James Jefferson, "Voters Back Huckabee's Road Plan," The Commercial Appeal, 6/16/99)

The Bond Proposal (WITH NO GAS TAX) Was Passed 80% To 20%.
"Gov. Mike Huckabee's $575 million bond program to reconstruct the worst stretches of Arkansas interstates over a five-year period appeared headed for an easy victory, 80 percent to 20 percent, becoming the first road bond issue approved since 1949." (James Jefferson, "Voters Back Huckabee's Road Plan," The Commercial Appeal, 6/16/99)