madam chairman , when george w. bush was running for president six years ago , he said that our country had been without a comprehensive energy policy for a decade . 
we are now going on sixteen years with no energy plan for america , and it is not for lack of trying . 
the house of representatives has passed energy legislation four times , only to have the bills die in the senate because of partisan politicking . 
keeping the lights on should not be a partisan issue . 
filling up a gas tank should not be a partisan issue . 
madam chairman , gas prices are at an all-time high . 
i want to thank chairman joe barton for working with me to include a provision in this bill to curb the production of boutique fuel blends and address this issue head-on . 
the current gasoline supply includes specially formulated , boutique fuels which are required by law in certain communities . 
when supplies are limited , gas prices rise quickly -- sometimes overnight . 
for example : missourians can fill their gas tanks up in springfield and drive 3 hours to st . 
louis . 
when they get there , they 'll be filling their tanks up with a completely different type of gasoline . 
but if st . 
louis ever runs short on their boutique fuel , gas stations there ca n't sell what consumers could buy back in springfield . 
the energy bill we will vote on tomorrow caps the number of these special fuel blends and allows communities faced with a shortage due to unforeseen circumstances , such as a refinery fire , a waiver to use conventional gasoline . 
this plan relies on simple economics : if we create a larger market for a greater amount of gasoline , we 'll help drive prices down . 
by including this proposal in the energy bill , the house is moving the country one step closer to lowering the sky-high price of gas for consumers . 
madam chairman , it 's time to see some common sense at the gas pump . 
i urge my colleagues to support this rule , support the underlying bill , and vote for lower gas prices and increased energy independence for america . 
