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 .  