WASHINGTON -- Congressional energy experts today criticized President Bush for failing to live up to his promise to protect American consumers from skyrocketing gas prices by standing up to OPEC.

“You would think with such a large number of recruits from the energy industry filling key positions, the Bush Administration would have the expertise to influence OPEC, as the President promised in 2000,” said Congressman George Miller (D-CA), former chairman of the House Resources Committee. “Today’s record oil prices are a testament to the failure of the Bush agenda on the Middle East and of its energy policy, which primarily consists of expanding oil drilling in national wilderness areas, parks and offshore coastal states.”

During the 2000 Presidential election campaign, Gov. George W. Bush promised to take on the OPEC cartel on behalf of American consumers. Bush said:

“I think the president ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say, ‘We expect you to open your spigots.’ … The president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price.” [Financial Times, 2/2/00]

On the campaign trail in 2000, Bush spokesman Scott McClellan cited rising gas prices as an example of “failed leadership,” contending that if elected, Bush would support a government investigation of higher gas prices. But gas prices in the United States have reached a record high under the Bush Administration, climbing three cents in just two weeks to a nationwide average of $1.80. According to AAA, gas prices could mean that the average American family would spend an extra $600 at the pump this year, and a gas price increase to $2 a gallon could offset the entire impact of last year’s Republican tax cuts.

“If action is not taken immediately, we can look forward to seeing these inflated energy prices eat into the budgets of every family and small business in America and rob us of any chance for pulling out of persistent joblessness,” said Representative Ed Markey (D-MA), a senior Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee. “That is unacceptable.”

Not only has the Bush Administration failed to force OPEC’s hand, under the Bush watch, the OPEC nations have further solidified their control of the oil market. In recent years, OPEC has continued to set prices for oil delivered today higher than prices for oil delivered tomorrow. The effect: Depleted oil inventories in the US and increased control over prices.

“President Bush is the number one recipient of oil and gas special interest money, raking in nearly $1.5 million in contributions just for this election cycle.” Miller added. “No wonder why he’s failed to live up to his promise to fight for lower prices.”

Far from convincing anyone to “open the spigots,” under the Bush Administration OPEC has even more power to keep gas prices high.

“I think the president ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say: ‘We expect you to open your spigots’ …The president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price. And if, in fact, there is collusion amongst big oil, he ought to intercede there as well.”
Financial Times, February 2, 2000

“I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply. … Use the capital that my administration will earn, with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, and convince them to open up the spigot.”
New York Times, June 28, 2000

“We're dependent upon crude. … I would hope the administration would convince our friends in OPEC to open the spigots.”
Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2000

“I think Americans ought to be asking, ‘Where's all the capital we earned overseas after defending some of our OPEC nation friends?’”
Associated Press, March 20, 2001

“Well, we've got good relations with a lot of members of OPEC. If the president does his job, the president will earn capital in the Middle East, and the president should have good standing with those nations. It's important for the president to explain, in clear terms, what high energy prices will not only do to our economy, but what high energy prices will do to the world economy.”
CNN, January 26, 2000