Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) welcomed news that the administration will release 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and an additional 30 million barrels will be released from the International Energy Agency. In April Higgins joined 16 of his colleagues in the House of Representatives in sending a letter to the President calling for the action to relieve consumers facing rising gas prices.
“This is welcome news for Western New York consumers and businesses stretched thin by the increasing costs at the pump,” said Congressman Higgins, a member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs. “We continue to pursue a well-rounded approach to keeping gas prices reasonable which is important not only for our economy but for national security. Our efforts include: fighting to remove subsidies to oil companies, regular monitoring of local prices to ensure they correlate to others in the region, responsible domestic drilling and aggressively pursuing alternative energy.”
In the fall of 2008 Congressman Higgins fought unjustifiably high gas prices in WNY. He met with the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and demanded an investigation into high prices.
Over the six month period during which the Congressman vocally rallied against and demanded answers the high local gas prices decreased by $1.18 due in part to the Congressman’s actions.
In fact the FTC’s letter credited the Congressman for falling prices saying, “we note that prices began to fall soon after you raised public concerns about the elevated prices.” The Congressman continues to monitor local gas prices through his website to make sure local gas prices aren’t unjustifiably higher than other upstate regions.
Congressman Higgins also opposes and voted to repeal the astonishing $4 billion in annual tax breaks for big oil companies and sponsored H.R. 964, the “Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act,” which makes it illegal to sell gasoline at excessive prices and prevents Big Oil from taking advantage of consumers and engaging in price gouging. He has also cosponsored and voted for a number of bills including the financial regulatory reform package last Congress in order to curb energy speculation which has driven oil and gas prices higher, to restore transparency to commodity and futures markets and toughen position limits on oil and other futures markets as a way to prevent potential price distortions caused by excessive speculative trading.
