Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) this week voted to pass the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act.
The bill gives the president and overseeing agencies more power to go after fuel wholesalers jacking up gas prices for hardworking Arizonans.
“Amidst global market instability from COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we’ve seen record-high fuel prices at the pump, and rural Arizonans, who drive more miles than most to get groceries, take kids to school, and go to the doctor, are suffering,” said O’Halleran in a news release.
“At the same time, we’ve seen oil companies make record profits and prioritize stock buybacks over investing in lowering prices for American families,” he said. “I’m glad the House has passed this measure that holds oil companies, fuel wholesalers, and bad actors accountable, and prohibits price gouging that leads to artificially high prices.”
Gas prices, which started spiking when Russia began its war on Ukraine, are exceptionally high in Arizona; some stations are charging more than $5 per gallon.
O’Halleran, who represents one of the largest congressional districts in America, spoke last month in a House Energy and Commerce Committee Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on the role of Big Oil companies in the rising costs of gas across America and solutions to bring down prices for hardworking families. Witnesses for the hearing included leadership from bp America, Chevron, Devon Energy, ExxonMobil, Pioneer Natural Resources and Shell.
Watch O’Halleran’s remarks from the hearing here.
