mr. chairman , hard-working american families are paying a high price at the gas pump today because of our nation 's dependence upon foreign energy . 
every day high gasoline prices are hurting good , decent hard-working families who are having to cut back on their purchases of food , medicine , and clothes . 
high natural gas prices are hurting our nation 's businesses , who are laying off families and breadwinners . 
this is simply about supporting an amendment that will provide environmentally safe and sound production of natural gas off the eastern gulf coast , something we are already doing off the texas and the louisiana coast . 
and to my friend , the gentleman from california ( mr. cunningham ) xz4000910 , i have walked on texas beaches since i was 2 years old and have yet to end up with black-bottom feet because of oil on our beaches . 
mr. chairman , this can be done in a positive way . 
but most importantly we need to send a message to the opec nations that we are tired of a handful of opec oil ministers putting their hands around the necks of family budgets and businesses here in america . 
