Pelosi: Gas Tax Holiday Would Defeat Everything We're Doing To Lower Oil Costs

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has come out strongly against the idea of a gas tax holiday, versions of which are being proposed by Sens. Clinton and McCain:

First of all, there's no reason to believe that any moratorium on the gas tax will be passed onto the consumer, first and foremost. This has not been the history, of a lowered gas tax being passed onto the consumer. Second of all, it would defeat everything we've been trying to do to lower the cost of oil. ... There are other remedies that are much better than that, and again, have a direct impact on the problem that we're trying to solve. I think the biggest answer to our challenges is to invest in renewable energy resources and to do it now.

The Clinton camp defended its call for a gas tax holiday, though HuffPost's Sam Stein reported that no experts can be found in support of such a policy.

Comments

[DavidK08]

if no experts are supporting this BS pandering move, are super delegates experts?

[DavidK08]

is HRC trying to get a 2 for 1 deal? She might be trying to make it look like big oil doesn't control her.

[Grannysue]

Didn't anyone notice when Hillary made that ad nasaum attempt to be "just like you and me" yesterday at the gas station, which she hasn't seen a gas pump in about thirty years so you know she can really relate, when they left the gas station, there was about ten big black SUV'S following behind? Gee, how odd, she's there talking about how bad the oil crisis is and then drive off with ten gas suckers in tow, "what's wrong with this picture"?

[PrdAmerican]

Hilliary says she would take from the windfall of oil companies for this tax holiday..h­owever, she also has said she would take the windfall profits from oil companies to pay for green energy/inf­astructure­. Sooo.....y­ou're basically tapping into the same money twice, how does she explain this one away?

[whiteboyblues]

I saw a huge Toyota SUV yesterday here Texas driving down the road and they had a big ol' Hillary bumper sticker on the back. Reminds me of the "W" stickers I used to always see in 2004... but now I hardly ever see those anymore.

[SCG]

Yeah the parallels, right down to the ruthlessness of the supporters.

[JTyroler]

I've seen people estimate this "tax holiday" would amount to somewhere between a couple of dollars to about $30 per driver. Of course, I'm guessing that this is based on the price of gasoline not increasing as rapidly as it is now.

However, oil companies are reporting insanely high profits. Once again, the "free marketplace" is screwing the consumers. The oil companies aren't lowering prices to beat their competitors - they are doing the opposite.

I'm glad all that oil we would get from Iraq has been sooooo helpful, hasn't it?

[nanotubz]

The Federal tax is 18+ cents per gallon no matter the price you're paying per gallon. The gas tax is not a sales tax but a commodity tax. So the actual dollar savings would be the same at $5/gal or $1/gal.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

The Congress and the Administration has not been able to resolve the energy crisis in the past 7 years. What the heck are they going to get done in 3 months that they haven’t been able to do in 7 years?

[KillTheMessenger]

Did you notice that they did absolutely nothing to even try? The new vehicle efficiency guidelines are a joke. The price of oil will drive fleet efficiency faster than the regulations do. Needless to say that most of the people in the room probably knew this when they brokered the deal.

[mntnguy]

Everyone! Google Paul vs Clinton and hold on to your shirt with what you read!! I can not believe this is being hidden so well by the media and Clinton supporters claim she has a chance of winning once she is convicted in this case that she is apparently guilty of along with Gov Ed Randell and Former Pres Clinton. This will all be over soon! I know the superdelegates are watching this!

Go Obama 08 Yes We Can!!!!

P.S. If you want to see a video of one of Clinton's top aide in her campaign office called the people of Indiana SHI_! Then check out the video that is what her people really think snakes all of them liers and snakes!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-MzByUHIzw&feature=email

[TotobiAyokoh23]

According to Hillary's gas tax plan, the best way to solve diarrhea is to wear a very tight pants!

[OneAmerica]

That was funny! You gave me a good laugh.

Obama O8

[bos123]

Hillary said " give people some relief in summer time to pay bills or go for a ride on vacations" . To save 28-30 dollars and 300,000 people with no jobs for six months and 10 billions to repair bridges and highways gone? SHE JUST WANTS YOUR VOTE!!!!!

[SCG]

Maybe the Junior Senator from NewYork could explain why cuttting the gas tax didn't work in her home state?

" Counties rethinking gas tax caps "

Limits believed to aid oil firms, not consumers
By Joseph Spector • Journal Albany bureau • April 25, 2008

" ALBANY - With some Republican state lawmakers clamoring for a suspension of the state's gas sales tax this summer, some counties are taking the opposite approach: lifting what they view as ineffective tax caps.

Onondaga County this month dropped its two-year cap on gas sales taxes after an analysis showed customers were seeing no significant savings at the pump compared to other upstate counties.

Other counties made similar choices after the ... "

Continues: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/NEWS/804250337/1001/NEWS

It just went to oil company profits.

[poco767]

You go Hillary, is there anyone she is scared to face up to?
Bill Orielly, the DNC, Economists, Experts, Witnesses.
She is fearless, she won't take crap from anyone.

[KillTheMessenger]

She does not have to use other people's crap. She has proven to be perfectly capable to make her own. Bosnia still rings in my ears. But the tax holiday is almost as good. Now all we need is a video on how she drives a Hummer in full combat gear and it all goes together seamlessly.

[kissmygrits]

Including the American people, for whom she panders but does nothing useful...

[nanotubz]

You're mistaking irrationality for fearlessness. Both tend to injury the bystanders more than person committing the act, excluding those Darwin award moments. Is Bush fearless or irrational?

[bos123]

Because she only talk CRAP.

[noliberals]

Pelosi couldn't find her way home with a road map

[mntnguy]

Everyone! Google Paul vs Clinton and hold on to your shirt with what you read!! I can not believe this is being hidden so well by the media and Clinton supporters claim she has a chance of winning once she is convicted in this case that she is apparently guilty of along with Gov Ed Randell and Former Pres Clinton. This will all be over soon! I know the superdelegates are watching this!

P.S. all Obama supporter should start talking about this in every post maybe the media will get the idea ! let the truth be told!

Go Obama 08 Yes We Can!!!!

[neocon43]

What a joke Pelosi is.Bush has proposed for 7 years to use vacant military bases for refineries and the coward democrats have blocked it everytime.­Democrats block drilling off the coast of Florida and California and the drilling in Anwar.The last refinery was in 1983 and has been blocked ever since by the wack enviromentalist!

[zippywpinhead]

wrong again...

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Group_Internal_memos_show_oil_companies_limited_refineries_to_drive_up__0907.html

[KillTheMessenger]

Did you actually notice that refinery utilization is quite low? There is no refining crisis. The price of gas is high because the price of oil is high. Now, if I were a CEO of a refining company (oil company or independent refiner), I would think twice about building a new refinery when the old one will work quite well to get me through the peak oil years all the way to the transportation electricit­y/hydrogen economy. Why waste good money on facilities which will never pay for themselves if I can give myself a hundred million stock option package instead?

It always amazes me how easily people stop checking their facts as soon as they find an "explanation" that satisfies their prejudices. I mean, why inform yourself when your mind is made up? Right?

[DSully]

Just not true. More importanly, you should understand Obama supporters support Obama because he doesn't try to manipulate voters by through false promises and shameless lies.

The fact is, Clinton and McCain have had plenty of time to work on issues affecting America. They are a part of the problem, not the solution. Be on Obama' side means finally supporting someone who is positive, smart, and consistent. I promise you, the grass is greener over here.

[mntnguy]

can you post a link to some expert who stays it is not true! no you can't every single expert has stated that it is a bad idea and will do nothing most being quoted saying it is clear and obvious pandering to people who by that kinda stuff and are to lazy to look for them selves you can read that on CNN, MSNBC,hell even Fox news! in fact Sen Clinton own advisers have told her it will make things worse!

Go Obama 08 Yes We Can

[Bill3rdterm]

HE doesn't try to manipulate voters????? You are not serious are you?

He runs on a platform as if he is holier than thou because he's not taking FED. Lobbiest money. Even though he's taken federal lobbiest money in his other races. That was a planned effort to play on voters. He however does take regular lobbiest money.

- Commercial saying "I don't take money from Oil Companies" isn't manipulating voters? Nobody takes money from Oil companies, because it's illegal. SO that was an attempt to manipulate voters who don't know any better and to act as if his opponent does take Oil Money. That my freind is manipulating voters.

Bowling IN PA, playing basketball in N.Carolina is manipulating and pandering.

I'm not knocking him for it, because he's a politician and all of them pander and all of them attempt to manipulate voters. Hence why he's starting to do small town meeting instead of his rock star stadium speeches. Because he's trying to pander to regular blue collar workers. Wake up and smell the typical politician BS.

[iPolitics]

"NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg weighed in on the summer gas tax holiday, arguing "the last thing we need to do is encourage people to drive." He praised Barack Obama for opposing "one of the dumbest ideas" he says he's ever heard."

[mntnguy]

Everyone! Google Paul vs Clinton and hold on to your shirt with what you read!! I can not believe this is being hidden so well by the media and Clinton supporters claim she has a chance of winning once she is convicted in this case that she is apparently guilty of along with Gov Ed Randell and Former Pres Clinton. This will all be over soon! I know the superdelegates are watching this!

P.S. all Obama supporter should start talking about this in every post maybe the media will get the idea ! let the truth be told!

Go Obama 08 Yes We Can!!!!

[Bill3rdterm]

First off that's an ignorant comment and theory. People saving .20 cents a gallon are not going to be driving that much more. It's not as if, they weren't planning to go on vacation and then all of the sudden they find out they are going to get 20 cents off a gallon and they plan a cross country trip.

[zippywpinhead]

are you really that stupid? of course the price of gas affects driving habits. It's completely documented by the statistics, not to mention every expert says so. Try Googling for the appropriate charts and graphs and you'll see that there is indeed a very strong correlation between the two...

[neocon43]

That shows how out of touch both of them are.It would help a lot of people to cut the tax.We do not need the tax anyway.ano­ther one of Obamas missteps on his way to the cellar!

[myna]

Will someone please find something creative to do with this:

Today in Indiana:

"Clinton apologized for being late, and said that just before the event she had prayed with a group of ministers because today is the National Day of Prayer." (IndyStar)

Is she going to wear red and ride a donkey into tomorrow's event?

[MPeter]

This is the latest evidence that Hillary and MCcain are too old and too out of touch with the reality of the 21st century. Once again Obama has shown why he is the one ready to lead from day one. Hillary and MCcain are too steeped in gimmickry to be trusted. Thank you Madam Speaker.

[whiteboyblues]

Her daddy invented prayer, in fact when he was a young boy growing up in [insert current primary state here] he would walk everyday 10 miles up hill both ways to pray in church.

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

Clinton's ride to work in a regular guy's pickup truck yesterday-- in order to illustrate her support of a gas tax holiday-- has to be one of the worst staged campaign events of all time. It was a study in how everything can go wrong in a photo-op. It wasn't his pickup-- it was his boss's. You can't find a guy who has his own truck? They were followed by a bunch of gas-guzzling Secret Service SUVs. Clinton talked on her cell the whole time. At the gas station, Clinton confessed she hadn't bought gas in years. Then the coffee machine inside . . .

These things don't matter anyway, but for someone trying to show she isn't an elitist but a working class kinda gal, it totally backfired. It was like Montgomery Burns having dinner with the Simpson family and trying to eat a three-eyed fish.