mr. speaker , i rise in strong opposition to h.r. 3893 , the so-called gasoline for america 's security act of 2005 . 
this bill represents the worst of legislation written by and for corporations . 
in the name of helping the economy , it decimates environmental laws and eliminates the ability of state and local governments to decide what 's best for them . 
it then reimburses oil companies for the inconvenience of having to act appropriately to protect our air and water . 
it is so far afield of economic reality that even the oil companies admit that refining capacity will increase without it . 
it is so environmentally reckless that one has to wonder if republicans think that they , in addition to being exempt from our ethics rules , breathe different air than the rest of us . 
while the majority says that environmental regulations are the reason for high gas prices , the facts just do n't support their claim . 
the reason that the cost of refining has increased is because oil companies voluntarily closed 30 refineries in the late eighties and early nineties to increase their profit margins . 
the scheme worked : refinery revenues increased by 255 percent last year alone . 
as one would expect , high profits are now encouraging companies to once again build and expand refineries . 
1.4 million barrels per day of refining capacity were added between 1996 and 2003 . 
due to this expansion , even the american petroleum institute acknowledges that the republican 's bill is completely unnecessary . 
this bill is shamefully using hurricanes and high gas prices as an excuse to advance the extreme anti-environment agenda of the republican party 's corporate bankrollers . 
it would : allow the president to place new refineries in national forests , wildlife refuges , and closed military bases . 
the military base in my district would probably be an appealing target for this president : . 
it 's the site of a planned national wildlife refuge . 
like many communities around the country , the city of alameda has undergone an extensive planning process to convert the base to civilian use , but if the president said the word , all that could be undone without any local recourse . 
give the federal government sole authority to place new refineries , even those not on federal land . 
apparently the oil executives running the bush energy department know better than your city council where an oil refinery should be placed . 
requires the federal government to reimburse refinery operators for the cost of lawsuits and any new environmental regulations . 
citizens beware : if the bush administration wants to put a refinery next to your child 's preschool , you can sue to block it , but you 'll have to pay back the oil company every cent the lawsuit costs them . 
we could have raised fuel economy standards today -- the one policy that would actually have a dramatic impact on gas prices -- but the majority blocked the house from even voting on the issue . 
then again , it would hardly be germane to consider such an amendment on a bill that has nothing whatsoever to do with lowering gas prices . 
i vote no on this reckless bill . 
