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Press Releases
Seals Highlights Inaction from President Bush, Mark Kirk on Gas Prices
As Cars Line Up for Hours, Seals Pledges to Stand With Consumers Over Big Oil
May 22, 2008
DEERFIELD—Today, cars full of 10th district drivers frustrated with high gas prices lined up for hours to fill up their tanks at $1.85/gallon, the price of gas when George W. Bush and Mark Kirk came to Washington in 2001. Democratic Congressional Candidate Dan Seals highlighted Kirk’s record of siding with the big oil companies. Seals also discussed his commitment to bringing a new direction to Washington on energy policy.
“As I’ve traveled across the 10th district talking with voters, one of the top concerns I’ve heard is about the price of gas,” Seals said. “They are frustrated with the pain they are feeling at the pump, but more importantly, frustrated at Washington’s failure to deliver them real relief.”
Since Mark Kirk was elected to Congress in 2000, the price of regular gas in the Chicago area has risen from an average of $1.85 to over $4.00, yet Kirk has consistently sided with the Bush administration's failed energy policy. Despite his recent conversion on these issues, Kirk can't hide his abysmal record—from voting to give $14.5 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to the big oil and gas companies to voting twice against cracking down on price gouging by the oil industry. Kirk's support for the oil and gas industry is no surprise given that he has received nearly $43,000 in campaign contributions from oil and gas companies. [Energy Information Administration; Center for Public Integrity]
“After years of neglect from President Bush and his allies in Congress, including Mark Kirk, consumers in the 10th district are paying the price for their short-sighted energy policy,” Seals said. “Rather than promote policies to reduce our dependence on oil and lower gas prices, they have handed billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies to the big oil companies. While Mark Kirk has stood with big oil in Congress, I’ll stand with our consumers by fighting for real gas price relief.”
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