mr. speaker , 1 year ago , the price of a gallon of gasoline in america was $ 1.94 .  the day before hurricane katrina struck , it was $ 2.61 .  this difference shows that exorbitant increases began even before katrina wreaked havoc on our economy .  the day after katrina , prices jumped to $ 3.07 .  today , our constituents are looking toward their elected representatives to rein in gas prices once and for all .  earlier this year , we passed up a golden opportunity to protect americans from price gouging when we enacted the first energy bill .  if we pass this energy bill in its current form , we pass up that opportunity a second time .  let us not make the same mistake twice .  in that spirit , we offer this motion to recommit , which attacks soaring gas prices head on .  our motion achieves this objective by investing new authority in the ftc to investigate , enforce and then punish price gouging and market manipulation .  specifically , our motion prohibits the sale of crude oil , gasoline , natural gas or any other petroleum distillates at a price that is considered either unconscionably excessive or indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage of the circumstances to increase prices unreasonably .  any violation will result in new civil penalties , and will be enforced with up to triple the damages of the profits gained by the violation .  unlike the underlying bill , this motion has teeth by reining in scrupulous practices of the oil and gas executives , interested more in padding their bottom line than helping middle-class families make ends meet .  i urge my colleagues to stand up to the oil companies and show hardworking americans that we are in their corner .  now is the time we must act , to prove that their interests are paramount , not the oil companies ' .  our price gouging provisions are superior to those of the underlying legislation , and our provisions are in effect at every stage of the oil and gas production , covering everyone in the supply chain .  let us put an end to price gouging once and for all .  do not let another opportunity go by without giving middle-class families the relief that they so desperately need and deserve .  if you want to do the right thing for america here and now , vote for the motion to recommit .  