Senators to push for $100 gas rebate checks

[bishop]

article

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Every American taxpayer would get a $100 rebate check to offset the pain of higher pump prices for gasoline, under an amendment Senate Republicans hope to bring to a vote Thursday. However, the GOP energy package may face tough sledding because it also includes a controversial proposal to open part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil exploration, which most Democrats and some moderate Republicans oppose. Democrats are also expected to offer their own competing proposal, as members of both parties jockey for political position on the gas price issue. The energy package, sponsored by Sens. Charles Grassley of Iowa, Ted Stevens of Alaska, Pete Domenici of New Mexico and Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, will be offered as an amendment to an emergency spending measure now before the Senate funding the Iraq war and hurricane relief, according to a senior GOP leadership aide. Under Senate rules, either the GOP amendment or the Democratic alternative would probably need 60 votes to pass, which is considered unlikely. However, the amendments would give senators a change to cast votes on measures designed to help constituents being hit by high gas prices. As outlined by the senior GOP leadership aide, the energy package would give taxpayers a $100 rebate, repeal tax incentives for oil companies and allow the Federal Trade Commission to prosecute retailers unlawfully inflating the price of gasoline. The measure would also give the Transportation Department authority to issue fuel efficiency standards for passenger vehicles, expand tax incentives for the use of hybrid vehicles and push for more research into alternative fuels and expansion of existing oil refineries. The GOP senators are also calling on the Bush administration to suspend deposits into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for six months to increase the nation's oil supply. President Bush announced Tuesday that he would halt new deposits into the reserve until after the summer driving season. (Full story) On the other side of the aisle, Democrats on Wednesday called for a new energy bill and federal legislation to punish price gougers. "There's no reason why we can't put forth a real energy policy that addresses the needs of this nation," said Rep. Bart Stupak, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, "from gouging to market manipulation to biofuels. We can do it." (Full story) And leaders of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday asked the Internal Revenue Service to let them examine the tax returns of the nation's 15 largest oil and gas companies, as part of a "comprehensive review" of oil industry profits. "I want to make sure the oil companies aren't taking a speed pass by the tax man," said Grassley, the committee's chairman, in a written statement.

exactly what we need - more deficit spending.. apparently, we aren't borrowing enough from china.

[Morgan_Freeman]

Once upon a time, I am told, the Republican Party stood for fiscal responsibility....

[brien]

Incredible. What these shamelss politicians won't do to get themselves into the limelight. I would donate my $100 to the shoeless who will require new shoes when their old ones wear out from walking instead of riding. Or, take it to Foxwoods and place it on either red or black depending on how I am feeling that day. Then I if I won, I could fill up my Dodge 2500 with diesel fuel and have a little left over for an oil change.

[Osborn F Enready]

More crap from one of the two corrupt major parties.

[bishop]

of course, ted stevens never misses an opportunity to squish his anwr deal into the mix.

everyone's tripping over each other, trying to cram whatever feel-good, spendthrift earmark they can into this "emergency" spending bill..

i'll probably buy a bunch of beer with my $100 (i like the foxwoods idea too).. and, for people who are really hurting from higher gas prices, $100 isn't going to do jack shit to ease their pain - and if the recipients are solely taxpayers (rather than the scores of poor people who don't pay taxes), then all the perceived "benefit" of this retarded proposal will be negated.

seems to me like all of congress, from both parties, are completely flailing right now.. each one of them is fully aware that the public thinks they suck.. i wonder if they're actually worried that the balance of power might actually shift out of both parties' hands?

[PatrickHenry]

This is so transparent that any assent from the public is an indictment of their mass stupidity.

If the check is FROM THE FEDERAL TREASURY, who put the money in there? The taxpayer, that's who!!

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/hokey.htm

You put your right foot in, You put your right foot out; You put your right foot in, And you shake it all about. You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about!

Put it in... take it out... and act like you're doing something... shibai
http://www.hawaiianswers.com/index.p...x_v2&id=9&c=29

[brien]

Quote by: PatrickHenry This is so transparent that any assent from the public is an indictment of their mass stupidity. If the check is FROM THE FEDERAL TREASURY, who put the money in there? The taxpayer, that's who!! http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/hokey.htm Put it in... take it out... and act like you're doing something... shibai http://www.hawaiianswers.com/index.p...x_v2&id=9&c=29

LMAO Excellent point PH. Also, as Bishop points out, those who do not use gasoline, will get a windfall. Perhaps they will have to pay a windfall profits tax since that $100 is ALL profit to them. Hell, these polticians will probably make everyone declare it as income on their income tax return as well. If this is a good deed, we must remember, no good deed goes unpunished.

[bishop]

Quote by: pat If the check is FROM THE FEDERAL TREASURY, who put the money in there? The taxpayer, that's who!!

unfortunately, there isn't any money in the treasury.. we're beyond broke. thank china if you get this $100 joke.

Quote by: brien Hell, these polticians will probably make everyone declare it as income on their income tax return as well.

heh.. no doubt about that one.

[tman_ndsu08]

This does nothing but increase inflation.

If everyone suddenly has a 100 extra bucks, everything will simply cost more.

[proud conservat]

Shades of Jimmy Peanut Carter!!!!

[Mia]

How stupid. The people that gas prices hurt the most are being affected by at least $100/month. What is the point?

[RickSp]

The parade of politicians marching off to photo ops in front of local gas stations is beyond idiotic. Lets see, we are more than five years into Bush's reign and we stil have no meaningful energy policy. The best the politicians can manage - Band-Aides and platitudes.

[bishop]

some drove hydrogen cars, some walked, some parked their suv's away from the media's scouring eyes...

if bush wanted to make a visit, my bet is that he'd appear on a hand glider, followed by cheney and rove making out in a hot air balloon.

gotta love the song and dance these dipshits put on.. all talk, no action - or bad ideas and bad solutions.

[Osborn F Enready]

To me, this political posturing BY BOTH parties, should cause all voters to think about why they keep voting for one of these two parties.

There is no lesser evil between the two. They are equally evil, assuming corrupt means evil.

[brien]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready To me, this political posturing BY BOTH parties, should cause all voters to think about why they keep voting for one of these two parties. There is no lesser evil between the two. They are equally evil, assuming corrupt means evil.

Furthermore, it demonstrates how little real control the government has over the price of a barrel of oil on the international market. Where they do have real control, they deny the citizens the relief of abolishing the gas taxes on all state and Federal levels.