The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE GASOLINE TAX” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S4663-S4666 on May 3, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE GASOLINE TAX
Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I am somewhat at a loss because I have been in the Finance Committee this morning and also have been serving in another capacity for the last few minutes, so I have not heard any of the actual statements on the floor of the U.S. Senate that have been made this morning. However, it has been brought to my attention that several statements have been made relative to the gasoline tax and the proposal to repeal 4.3-cent-per-gallon of the gasoline tax.
Considering that those statements have been made this morning and having a general idea of probably what those statements were, I would like to not only stand for a moment to respond but also to place in the Record some pertinent facts that I think need to be made very clear.
First, in the Finance Committee meeting this morning, which I must say was very spirited, very lively, we had a lot of discussion about whether or not we should repeal the 4.3-cent-per-gallon gas tax enacted in 1993 toward deficit reduction. We had a distinguished panel that represented the truckers, that represented the bus industry, that represented the airline industry. They had a wonderful man there who operates, in Prince Georges County, two service stations. The basic theory was, if we could get the Congress to repeal the 4.3-cent-per-
gallon gasoline tax, that immediately 4.3 cents per gallon would be taken off of gasoline at the pump.
Let us look back a little bit to see if this logic will come true. After 1993, the 4.3-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax was collected, after we placed the tax on and allocated this particular new tax, this new fee toward deficit reduction, not only did we start decreasing the deficit, but we did something else. Gasoline prices came down. Gasoline prices came down after we placed the 4.3-cent user fee, in 1993, on gasoline. People do not talk about that very much right now, but that was the case.
There is another concern that I had this morning in today's hearing in the Finance Committee. The people on the panel, who are very good advocates for their constituent groups, for the truckers and the airlines, the service station owners, and all the rest, these individuals came before the Senate Committee on Finance this morning and basically stated that, first, ``If you will repeal this gasoline tax, we're going to be able to spur the economy, we're going to be able to lower gasoline prices, we're going to be able to buy diesel for our trucks at 4.3 cents per gallon less.''
But what was never stated, even though they were coming and saying,
``Give us a break, give us some relief,'' they never stated--any of them--how we were going to make up this loss of revenue. We collect
$4.8 billion a year in this particular tax of 4.3 cents per gallon. Not one of our witnesses this morning said, ``We have a way for you to prevent the deficit from rising dramatically if you repeal this gasoline tax.'' Not one of them. Not one witness this morning gave us an indication of how we are going to make up this shortfall.
I guess they were saying, ``Cut this tax out, let the deficit increase,'' because they gave us no responsible alternative for making up the difference.
There is something else that concerned me, Mr. President, about that particular hearing. It was very, very partisan. It was extremely political. In fact, I commented that I did not know yet that the nominating conventions had started. I thought those were going to be in California and in Chicago come August, but it sounded like it was a political convention this morning in the Finance Committee. I am sorry it happened that way, but it did happen. You just have to take that on and take that as it is.
But what was not said also by any of our panelists, nor Members on the other side of the aisle, I might say, is that some people's philosophy is that you should not ask the Government to solve all of the problems; that every time there is a problem, you do not seek Government intervention.
But this is what, on the other side of the aisle, we are being asked to do at this time in response to rising gas prices. By the way, there are some Senators on our side of the aisle who support the repeal of the gasoline tax. Senator Baucus from Montana, for example, had a letter there and it stated his intent to vote for the repeal. I might vote for the repeal. I am not sure. I do not think I will. I might, if I can be shown where the consumers might benefit. But no one yet has shown us how the consumer is going to benefit to the tune of 4.3 cents a gallon if we repeal the gasoline tax.
Here is what they also did not indicate this morning. They are coming to the Government for relief. Why do they not go to the oil companies for relief? You say, ``Wait a minute, how can they go and seek relief from the oil companies?'' Here is how.
Let us look at the profits of, say, Shell, Amoco, Chevron, Texaco. In the first quarter of 1996, Shell reported $483 million in profits compared to $340 million in the first quarter of 1995. Amoco, $728 million in the first quarter this year compared to $523 million in the first quarter of 1995. Chevron, $616 million in the first quarter of 1996 compared to $459 million in the first quarter of 1995. Texaco,
$386 million in the first quarter of 1996 compared to $297 million in profits in the first quarter of 1995.
That is an increase, for example, of $143 million that Shell gained over the first quarter of last year. That is a situation where Amoco looks up here and all of a sudden the first quarter of this year, they have made $205 million more in net profits than they made in the first quarter of 1995--$205 million.
That is where some relief can be given, because that is where the price at the pump is determined, not with the 4.3-cent-a-gallon deficit reduction tax. The price at the pump, as the distinguished Presiding Officer knows, is established by the oil companies as to what they charge the retailer at the service station. That is where the price is decided.
The gasoline company, the Texacos and Chevrons remit that tax to the Government, not the retailer, not the Chevron dealer who was there from Prince George's County this morning. The retailers do not do that. The big oil companies collect and remit the tax, and I assume they charge a fee on top of the tax for collection and remission of the tax to the Federal Government.
This is the same tax that has increased our opportunity to deal with the deficit numbers. Had we not had them, we perhaps would have been
$30 billion more in debt.
Mr. President, I know that there are a lot of organizations in this town that will steam up here in the next few days and weeks to repeal the gas tax. But I might note that we also have the taxpayer bill of rights 2. On this side of the aisle, we have cleared the taxpayer bill of rights 2 to be passed. The second taxpayer bill of rights gives equity, uniformity, and fairness to the taxpayers of America on our side of the aisle, we say, ``Let's go with it.'' On the other side of the aisle, ``Let's slow it up, because we may want to put this repeal of the gasoline tax on the taxpayer bill of rights.''
I hope they do not use that vehicle, because I think the taxpayers right now need to have that protection by the taxpayer bill of rights 2. It has been a bipartisan effort. The distinguished Presiding Officer, I think, has been a cosponsor of the taxpayer bill of rights. Let us not slow that down, and let us not speed up so quickly the stampeding to repeal the 4.3-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax unless we have the assurance, the absolute ironclad assurance that should we do it, the consumers are going to benefit and not the big oil companies.
Right now, it does not seem like the big oil companies have a great deal of sympathy for the consumer when they are making 42 percent more profit; 39 percent more profit; 34 percent more profit; 30 percent more profit--Shell, Amoco, Chevron, Texaco, and on down the line. They are all awash in money.
They say, ``Well, the reason that those gasoline prices are having to be increased right now''--you have heard them, Mr. President, you have watched them on television and read them--the reason is because of all these environmental standards that we have to meet; we are just having to take all of these profits and plow back in to increasing the environmental standards, and that is increasing our costs. Increase their costs? They are making 42 percent more profit than they did this time last year, Mr. President, so that argument does not work.
They sound to me like the big pharmaceutical companies. They say,
``Oh, we have to make this enormous profit''--the most profitable industry in America today--``so we can do research.'' We pay them for research with research and development tax credits, and yet they are trying to hornswoggle the public, take advantage of the consumers, gouge the elderly. They are trying to charge the very highest prices, and they are getting by with it. They are getting by with it, Mr. President. They are charging the American consumer 40 and 50 percent more than that same drug is selling for across the border in Mexico and Canada and Great Britain, Europe--all over the world.
We subsidize them, we pay for it, and we pay for their product through the nose. It is not right, and before we rush to judgment on repealing this 4.3 cent user fee, I just urge us to step back a little bit and say, ``Where are we going to make up the difference?'' Why can the oil companies not use a little more sympathy, and if we repeal it, is this actually going to mean that the consumer is going to get a break? In my opinion, there is no evidence whatsoever, not one scintilla of evidence that the consumer is going to benefit from this particular break.
Mr. President, in the Wall Street Journal, I think this morning--and, by the way, we had no economists, we had only advocates for the particular constituencies there this morning--we said, ``Where are all the economists? Why didn't they come? Why didn't we have someone to answer this question? Are the consumers going to get the benefit of this repeal if we do in fact repeal it, if we increase the deficit and repeal the gasoline tax?''
Here is front page of the Wall Street Journal of this morning, Mr. President. It says, ``Don't Do It.'' I am going to quote:
Many economists say repealing the gasoline tax is wrong. Federal Chairman Greenspan and board nominee Rivlin have previously called for higher rates to discourage consumption and balance the budget.
By the way, Mr. President, I am not calling for higher rates. I am just saying that with the rates we have, we should not be stampeded into repealing them before we know what the results are going to be.
Berkeley Alan Auerbach calls the cut, ``A silly idea.''
Mr. President, that is the Wall Street Journal this morning. It is a very conservative epistle, all of us know.
Mr. President, the distinguished majority leader, who is certainly a member and former chairman of the Finance Committee, very distinguished Member of this body, Senator Dole of Kansas--Senator Dole was talking this morning, today, and on the floor some this week, about the need to repeal the gasoline tax.
You know, in 1982, only 1 day before Christmas Eve, December 23--we were in session around here that particular time, and I kind of remember that time. I will read from a ``Dear Colleague'' letter from Senator Dole, at that time the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
I am now quoting Senator Dole's ``Dear Colleague'' letter:
I urge you to vote for the [Surface Transportation Act of 1982]. . . . The bill increases the taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel and other motor fuels from 4 to 9 cents per gallon. [A]n increase of 125 percent in the fuels taxes may look onerous .
. . This will only amount to a 4 percent increase in gasoline prices and the new 9-cent tax will be significantly lower relative to other consumer prices than the 4-cent tax was when [that] was enacted in 1959.
It seems the newer environment or recent events have convinced Senator Dole that maybe gasoline taxes all of a sudden are not good, because a few years back he was supporting the gasoline tax.
Mr. President, there is also another part of our discussion this morning--I am sure there has been on the floor--that historically the Congress, in enacting a gasoline tax, puts this into the highway trust fund. Historically that is the truth except for in 1990 and 1993. Historically that is what the tradition has been.
But, Mr. President, we found in 1993 a most unique situation. We found a deficit that had run wild that was out of control. We also found that we had a President who was willing to take a risk, a political risk. Mr. President, it was a political risk. Every Democrat on this side of the Senate Chamber voted for this particular package that included 4.3 cents.
That 4.3 cents did not go to the highway trust fund. No, sir, it did not. You are correct; it did not. But at that moment we had to do something, we had to do something drastic, and we had to do something dramatic. We had a very unique situation that we had to take care of. The way that we started attacking it, Mr. President, was saying, OK, this may not be traditional, this may be unique, this may be different, but we are going to have to do it. We enacted the 4.3-cent gasoline tax.
As a result, we have cut the deficit, Mr. President. As a result, in my opinion, the people go in to the service station and buy their gasoline, and if they think they are reducing the deficit with having to pay perhaps a little more, I think they are willing to do it. I may be wrong, but I think they are willing to do it.
Our President took that opportunity. He accepted that challenge. He met the mandate of the people to do something about the national debt and the deficit. It was hard. I tell you it was a hard vote to cast over here. It was an easy vote over there because not one of our good colleagues on the other side--not one--voted for the package.
I can remember the hue and cry after that--``the biggest tax increase in American history,'' and all of that. I did not think it was. I think in retrospect the historians will look kindly upon those who took that risk and who accepted that challenge that we had to do something to protect and to begin to protect the future generations who are going to be called upon to pay this huge deficit, this huge national debt. The 1993 deficit reduction bill was a way to start.
To the best of my knowledge, the people out there--and I have not seen a poll on this, no sir--but to the best of my knowledge, the people have said, ``If it goes for deficit reduction, if it will help defray this onerous debt that is going to be on the backs of our children and grandchildren, I am willing to pay a little more.
Let me also state once again, as I opened, Mr. President, that when we passed this 4.3-cent gasoline tax, the price of gasoline at the pump went down.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a chart and other tables which give that statement credibility and which backs it up with the facts be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
TABLE 9.4.--MOTOR GASOLINE RETAIL PRICES, U.S. CITY AVERAGE
[Cents per gallon, including taxes]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leaded Unleaded Unleaded All regular regular premium types a
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1973 average.................... 38.8 NA NA NA
1974 average.................... 53.2 NA NA NA
1975 average.................... 56.7 NA NA NA
1976 average.................... 59.0 61.4 NA NA
1977 average.................... 62.2 65.6 NA NA
1978 average.................... 82.8 67.0 NA 65.2
1979 average.................... 86.7 90.3 NA 88.2
1980 average.................... 119.1 124.5 NA 122.1
1981 b average.................. 131.1 137.6c 147.0 135.2
1982 average.................... 122.2 128.6 141.6 128.1
1983 average.................... 115.7 124.1 138.2 122.5
1984 average.................... 112.8 121.2 136.6 119.6
1985 average.................... 111.6 120.2 134.0 119.6
1986 average.................... 85.7 92.7 108.5 93.1
1987 average.................... 69.7 94.8 108.3 95.7
1988 average.................... 89.9 94.6 110.7 96.3
1989 average.................... 98.8 102.1 119.7 106.0
1990 average.................... 114.3 116.4 134.9 121.7
1991 average.................... NA 114.0 132.1 119.6
1992 average.................... NA 112.7 131.6 119.0
1993:
January....................... NA 111.7 131.3 118.2
February...................... NA 110.8 130.1 117.2
March......................... NA 109.8 129.4 116.3
April......................... NA 111.2 130.4 117.5
May........................... NA 112.8 131.9 119.3
June.......................... NA 113.0 132.1 119.4
July.......................... NA 110.9 130.5 117.4
August........................ NA 109.7 129.4 118.3
September..................... NA 108.5 128.2 115.1
October....................... NA 112.7 132.3 119.3
November...................... NA 111.3 130.5 117.8
December...................... NA 107.0 126.8 113.6
Average....................... NA 110.8 130.2 117.3
1994:
January....................... NA 104.3 124.0 110.9
February...................... NA 105.1 124.5 111.4
March......................... NA 104.5 124.3 110.9
April......................... NA 106.4 126.0 112.8
May........................... NA 108.0 127.4 114.3
June.......................... NA 110.6 130.0 116.7
July.......................... NA 113.6 132.7 119.9
August........................ NA 118.2 138.7 124.3
September..................... NA 117.7 138.4 123.7
October....................... NA 116.2 134.5 121.2
November...................... NA 116.3 135.4 122.2
December...................... NA 114.3 133.7 120.3
Average....................... NA 111.2 130.5 117.4
1995:
January....................... NA 112.8 132.4 119.0
February...................... NA 112.0 131.6 118.1
March......................... NA 111.5 130.6 117.3
April......................... NA 114.0 132.5 119.7
May........................... NA 120.0 138.3 125.8
June.......................... NA 122.6 141.1 128.1
July.......................... NA 118.5 138.4 125.2
August........................ NA 116.4 135.2 122.2
September..................... NA 114.8 133.2 120.6
October....................... NA 112.7 131.5 118.5
November...................... NA 110.1 129.2 116.1
December...................... NA 110.1 129.0 116.0
Average....................... NA 114.7 133.6 120.5
1996 January.................... NA 112.9 131.7 118.6
------------------------------------------------------------------------
a Also includes types of motor gasoline not shown separately. b In September 1981, the Bureau of Labor Statistics changed the weights used in the calculation of average motor gasoline prices. From
September 1981 forward, gasohol is included in the average for all types, and unleaded premium is weighted more heavily. c Based on September through December data only. NA=Not available.
Notes: * See Note 5 at end of section. * Geographic coverage for 1973-
1977 is 56 urban areas. Geographic coverage for 1978 forward is 85 urban areas.
Sources: * Monthly Data: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Consumer Prices: Energy. * Annual Data: 1973--Platt's Oil
Price Handbook and Almanac, 1974, 51st Edition. 1974 forward-- calculated by the Energy Information Administration as the simple averages of monthly data.
TABLE 16.--RETAIL MOTOR GASOLINE AND ON-HIGHWAY DIESEL FUEL PRICES, 1995 TO PRESENT
[Cents per gallon, including taxes]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January February March April May June July August September October November December
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1995
Motor Gasoline...................... 113.0 112.0 111.9 115.7 122.5 123.9 120.1 117.0 115.8 113.4 110.8 111.8
Conventional Areas.............. 109.5 108.8 108.9 113.7 121.0 122.3 118.0 115.1 113.8 110.9 108.4 109.5
Oxygenated Areas................ 118.4 116.8 116.6 118.8 123.8 124.8 122.4 119.8 119.8 119.0 118.0 118.0
OPRG Areas...................... 126.2 125.1 124.0 124.0 129.6 132.7 130.9 127.6 125.8 123.2 124.0 124.5
RFG Areas....................... 121.8 120.7 119.3 120.9 126.8 128.4 125.3 121.0 118.5 118.2 115.2 115.8
Regular........................... 108.2 107.3 107.2 111.1 117.8 119.1 115.4 112.3 111.1 108.7 106.2 107.1
Conventional Areas.............. 105.1 104.4 104.8 109.4 116.5 117.8 113.5 110.7 109.3 106.5 104.0 105.1
Oxygenated Areas................ 114.4 112.9 112.9 115.0 120.2 121.0 118.8 116.0 116.1 115.2 114.2 114.1
OPRG Areas...................... 117.6 116.4 115.3 115.3 121.3 124.3 123.3 119.3 117.8 115.2 115.4 115.9
RFG Areas....................... 116.4 115.3 114.0 115.7 121.7 123.1 119.9 115.6 114.0 112.8 109.8 110.3
Midgrade.......................... 117.4 118.5 115.1 119.9 128.8 128.3 124.5 121.3 120.0 117.5 115.1 116.0
Conventional Areas.............. 113.9 113.3 113.2 117.9 125.4 126.7 122.4 119.3 118.1 115.1 112.6 113.8
Oxygenated Areas................ 123.3 121.5 121.1 123.5 128.5 129.5 126.8 123.9 123.5 122.7 122.5 122.7
OPRG Areas...................... 130.1 129.2 127.9 127.7 133.1 135.9 134.1 130.9 129.0 126.6 128.5 128.7
RFG Areas....................... 126.4 125.2 124.0 125.4 131.2 133.1 130.3 126.3 124.7 123.0 119.9 120.6
Premium........................... 127.5 126.5 125.8 129.5 136.4 137.9 134.2 131.1 129.8 127.3 124.7 125.5
Conventional Areas.............. 123.4 122.6 122.2 127.0 134.5 138.1 131.8 126.8 127.5 124.4 122.0 122.9
Oxygenated Areas................ 134.0 132.3 131.9 133.8 138.5 139.4 137.4 135.3 134.5 134.2 133.5 133.6
OPRG Areas...................... 139.4 138.1 137.1 137.0 142.4 145.1 143.2 139.9 138.1 135.3 138.3 138.8
RFG Areas....................... 135.5 134.2 132.6 134.0 139.6 141.3 138.5 134.2 132.9 131.6 128.0 129.5
On-HIghway Diesel fuel.............. 109.8 108.8 108.8 110.4 112.5 111.9 110.0 110.5 111.9 111.5 112.0 113.0
1996 Motor Gasoline...................... 113.7 113.6 118.3 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Conventional Areas.............. 111.5 111.4 116.4 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Oxygenated Areas................ 119.0 119.1 123.5 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
OPRG Areas...................... 127.3 126.9 128.0 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
RFG Areas....................... 117.7 117.8 122.1 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Regular........................... 109.0 108.9 113.7 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Conventional Areas.............. 107.2 107.0 112.0 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Oxygenated Areas................ 115.2 115.2 119.5 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
OPRG Areas...................... 118.4 118.1 119.1 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
RFG Areas....................... 112.2 112.3 116.8 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Midgrade.......................... 117.9 117.9 122.5 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Conventional Areas.............. 115.8 115.6 120.6 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Oxygenated Areas................ 123.4 123.8 128.5 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
OPRG Areas...................... 131.3 131.5 132.5 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
RFG Areas....................... 122.3 122.5 126.3 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Premium........................... 127.6 127.4 132.0 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Conventional Areas.............. 125.1 124.8 129.8 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
Oxygenated Areas................ 134.6 134.9 138.8 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
OPRG Areas...................... 140.0 139.4 140.6 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
RFG Areas....................... 130.5 130.7 134.7 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
On-Highway Diesel Fuel.............. 114.5 114.5 118.3 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996 2/5 2/12 2/19 2/26 3/4 3/11 3/18 3/25 4/1 4/8 4/15 4/22
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Motor Gasoline...................... 113.0 112.8 113.3 115.3 117.0 117.1 118.1 121.0 122.3 124.8 128.7 130.1
Conventional Areas.............. 110.7 110.4 111.0 113.4 115.1 115.0 116.2 119.2 120.5 122.8 126.9 127.4
Oxygenated Areas................ 118.7 117.8 120.1 119.9 122.3 122.6 122.9 128.1 127.0 131.4 133.2 136.8
OPRG Areas...................... 127.3 127.0 126.7 126.7 127.5 127.7 127.7 129.1 130.9 132.2 136.0 138.0
RFG Areas....................... 117.4 117.1 117.4 119.2 120.7 121.3 122.0 124.3 126.0 128.7 133.1 137.0
Regular........................... 108.3 108.0 108.7 110.7 112.4 112.5 113.5 116.4 117.8 120.4 124.2 125.6
Conventional Areas.............. 106.3 106.1 106.6 109.0 110.7 110.5 111.9 114.9 116.2 118.5 122.5 123.0
Oxygenated Areas................ 114.9 113.9 116.0 116.0 116.1 118.6 119.0 122.2 123.2 127.5 129.3 132.8
OPRG Areas...................... 118.4 118.1 117.9 117.8 118.6 118.8 118.8 120.2 122.2 123.7 127.6 129.9
RFG Areas....................... 111.9 111.5 112.0 113.8 115.4 116.1 116.8 119.0 120.8 123.6 128.0 132.3
Midgrade.......................... 117.2 116.9 117.7 119.7 121.3 121.3 122.2 125.0 125.3 128.9 132.9 134.1
Conventional Areas.............. 114.9 114.6 115.4 117.7 119.3 119.3 120.4 123.2 124.5 126.9 131.0 131.6
Oxygenated Areas................ 123.2 122.0 125.0 124.9 128.2 127.3 127.4 131.1 131.6 136.4 138.0 141.5
OPRG Areas...................... 131.8 131.6 131.4 131.3 132.1 132.1 132.1 133.8 135.2 136.6 140.1 141.9
RFG Areas....................... 122.2 121.8 122.1 123.8 125.1 125.3 126.2 128.6 130.1 132.7 137.2 140.3
Premium........................... 126.9 125.5 127.1 129.1 130.8 130.8 131.7 134.5 135.7 138.1 142.2 143.8
Conventional Areas.............. 124.2 123.8 124.4 126.8 128.6 128.4 129.6 132.5 133.7 136.0 140.2 140.9
Oxygenated Areas................ 134.4 133.8 136.0 135.4 138.0 137.9 138.2 141.1 141.6 146.4 148.6 152.4
OPRG Areas...................... 139.8 139.5 139.0 139.3 140.8 140.3 140.2 141.7 143.2 144.2 147.9 149.5
RFG Areas....................... 130.4 130.1 130.2 132.1 133.3 133.8 134.6 137.0 138.4 140.8 145.3 148.9
On-Highway Diesel fuel.............. 113.0 113.4 115.1 116.4 117.5 117.3 117.2 121.0 122.2 124.9 130.5 130.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NA-Not available.
Note: See Glossary for definitions of abbreviations. See Technical Note 1, page 40, for more information about the data in this table.
Sources: See page 34. Weekly Petroleum Status Report/Energy Information Administration.
Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I am going to sit down in just a moment. I know my good friend from North Dakota, Senator Dorgan, is now on the floor. But you are going to hear an awful lot now because it is 1996--
it is an even-numbered year--it is getting ready to be the last election of this century, and it is going to be a humdinger. It is going to be the one that we are going to tell our grandchildren and great-grandchildren about, because it is going to get pretty exciting.
We are going to hear an awful lot about the 1993 economic plan, that it was the biggest tax increase in history, will ruin the country, whatever. I think we might start now setting that record straight. Look at the Wall Street Journal, October 26, 1994. I quote the Wall Street Journal:
Contrary to Republican claims, the 1993 package is not the largest tax increase in history. The 1982 deficit-reduction package of President Reagan and Senator Robert Dole in a GOP controlled Senate was a bigger tax bill, both in 1993 adjusted dollars and as a percentage of the overall economy.
The Wall Street Journal, not exactly a left-wing, Democratic newspaper, Mr. President.
Let us look at the Washington Post, February 1, 1995, recently and I quote:
The biggest tax increase in history did not occur in the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1993. The biggest increase in post-World War II history occurred in 1982, under President Ronald Reagan.
Mr. President, part of Senator Dole's historic tax increase was in fact a 5-cent gasoline tax.
Let us look at November 3, 1995, Mr. President, not long ago.
It is not true that the $240 billion tax increase approved by Congress in 1993, at Mr. Clinton's behest, is the largest in American history. When adjusted for inflation--the only way to make comparisons of dollar amounts from different years--a tax increase endorsed by Mr. Dole, in 1982, when he was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, was larger.
So, Mr. President, as we hear a lot of these statements made on this floor of this great institution, in the U.S. Senate, over the next several months up until the election, I think from time to time it behooves us well to come to this floor and to respond and set the facts out and set the record straight. f
That is the purpose of my visit here this morning. I think as we go forward in the next several weeks, as this debate intensifies, it will be our obligation to come forward and spread the facts as to what the real story is on the record.
I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. DORGAN. Are we in morning business?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are.
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