mr. speaker , i want to address a serious problem with the underlying bill , and that is that it relies exclusively on the federal trade commission and its willingness and ability and resources to enforce the price gouging remedy in the bill . 
i think we should all remember this is the same ftc that said , we do not have any authority to investigate price gouging in this area ; we do not need any authority in this area . 
everything is just fine , thank you very much ; and then , when pressed further , said we do not want any authority in this area because we will just make a bad situation worse . 
well , mr. speaker , relying on a sorry bunch of people that do not know their job , do not care about their job , and do not believe in their job is like going hunting and having to tote the dog . 
our substitute corrects this problem by giving the states attorneys general the same authority to enforce the price gouging remedies that we give the ftc . 
the attorneys general of our states are elected by our constituents , they know the conditions in their states better than we do , they have the resources and the discretion under the substitute to decide whether or not it is in the best interest of their constituents , our constituents , for them to act when we do not . 
this is federalism at its best . 
i urge everybody to support the substitute for this reason , if none other . 
any attorney general doing something is better than the ftc doing nothing . 
