House Republican Press Release

June 1, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

DEMOCRATS KILL REPUBLICAN GAS TAX CUT

House Republicans Vote For Energy Bill

HARTFORD – House Democrats tonight finally killed the Holiday Gas Tax cut Republicans crafted to immediately save motorists 25 cents per gallon despite widespread public outrage at the record high fuel prices.

The Republican amendment offered by House Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., of Norwalk after 10 p.m.  would have saved motorists more than $125 million in fuel costs from now until Labor Day and the lost revenue would have been replaced with a portion of the $846 million surplus.

“The Democrats desperately wanted to ‘go on record’ in meaningless votes as being in favor of the gas tax cut, but they weren’t being honest. “When they had the chance to actually cut gas prices, they balked,’’ Cafero said. “This was the only bill that could have become law. This was the only shot to cut gas prices. The rest is all rhetoric.’’

House Republicans also voted unanimously for the overall energy bill amendment that relies on conservation, efficiencies and diversified generation to create long-term rate stabilization.

Every Republican in House and Senate voted to cut the gas tax since the House Republicans first proposed it on May 14. Since then, Democrats used procedural slight of hands to try and fool the public into thinking that they supported the gas tax cut.

Cafero noted that 173 of the 187 lawmakers in the House and Senate have in recent weeks voted to cut the state gas tax, either in amendments or on the Democratic tax legislation that was supported by 90 of the 107 House Democrats. Those votes were for bills that were crafted to give Democrats political cover but stood no chance of ever becoming law.

“The Democrats played politics on an issue that is not political. They want to tell their districts they voted for a gas tax cut, but when it came time to deliver, they didn’t,’’ Cafero said. “Republicans in the House and Senate, and Gov. Rell, were always sincere about providing relief at the pump, and unfortunately, the Democrats never were.’’

No transportation projects would have been affected, nor would the bonds issued to pay for construction costs. “It’s a false argument that could not be made,’’ Cafero said.