Gas Prices: Bart Chilton, Key Federal Regulator, Explains Brutal Price Swings (VIDEO Q&A)

LIVE Q&A: Key Federal Regulator Explains Brutal Swings In Gas Prices

Gas prices have been climbing this year, putting the pinch on pocketbooks around the country and prompting a host of campaign promises from politicians.

What do higher gas prices mean for the vulnerable economic recovery? And why is the price of oil so volatile? When pain at the pump spikes unexpectedly, how much is due to actual supply and demand, and how much can be attributed to financial speculation on Wall Street? Is there anything the government can do about it?

At 1:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Bart Chilton, a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, spoke with HuffPost's Zach Carter to answer those questions and more. Watch the previously live segment above. The CFTC is the key agency regulating behavior in the markets for commodities like oil and food -- and Chilton has helped write several key rules in the wake of the 2008 Wall Street meltdown.

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