With Their Ethically Challenged Leader Now Indicted by a Grand Jury in Texas, Will Colorado Republicans Continue to be a Rubber Stamp for Tom DeLay?

How often they vote with Tom DeLay:

Joel Hefley 86%
Marilyn Musgrave 93%

Today, Americans are questioning why Colorado House Republicans vote so often with their indicted Republican leader, Tom DeLay. The Colorado Republican delegation has successfully earned the distinction of 'Rubber Stamp' for Tom DeLay. Colorado House Republicans seem to love to follow their leader, but with DeLay now indicted by a grand jury in Texas, will they continue to support the DeLay agenda?

This week, the evidence suggests that they will. The very day the news of DeLay's indictment came down, Congressional Republicans joined their indicted leader in a party-line vote to oppose gas price relief to American families. The proposed amendment would have cracked down on gas-price gouging and helped control the now skyrocketing cost of gas. Instead of making the responsible choice for the families they represent, DeLay's 'Rubber Stamps' voted to protect the oil companies' profits and to stick Americans with the bill.

"As 'Rubber Stamps' of indicted Republican leader Tom DeLay, Colorado Republicans voted this week to allow harmful gas price gouging to continue," said Bill Burton, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Americans are paying more at the pump than ever and with Colorado House Republicans, acting as rubber stamps, running to follow their indicted leader, they aren't looking out for the families they represent."

Oil companies and refineries have already reported record profits this year. Consumers are frustrated that they are being forced to pay higher prices at the same time that oil companies and refiners are enjoying record profits totaling tens of billions of dollars. The following companies reported the following earnings in the second quarter of 2005: ExxonMobil up 32 percent, to $7.62 billion; BP up 37 percent, to $5.84 billion; Shell up 35 percent, to $5.34 billion; ChevronTexaco up 12.8 percent, to $3.68 billion; and ConocoPhillips up 55 percent, to $3.10 billion.

Anti Gouging Proposal Would Have Protected American Consumers. The proposal gives the Justice Department authority to prosecute oil companies engaged in price gouging involving gasoline, home heating oil, or natural gas. Under the amendment, the Justice Department could impose criminal penalties of up to $100 million on corporations, and fines of up to $1 million and jail sentences of up to 10 years for individuals. This would apply during a national emergency and would crack down on companies charging unconscionable and excessive prices. [H.R. 3402, Vote # 500, 9/28/05]

Consumers Are Getting Ripped Off At the Pump. There have been more than 7,000 complaints of price gouging to the Energy Department, and in some parts of the country, gasoline prices exceeded $6 per gallon on Labor Day weekend. Further, some gas station owners and operators were reportedly ordered to raise prices by Exxon-Mobil, the nation's largest oil company.