Scalise grills Steven Chu on Obama's suppression of U.S. oil production, high gas prices - Hearing

During a House Energy and Power Subcommittee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Steve Scalise questioned Energy Secretary Steven Chu about President Obama's disingenuous claim that he has taken action to increase oil production in the United States and has implemented an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy. Mr. Scalise noted that the President is actually suppressing and decreasing domestic oil production.

Scalise said that, rather than free up the domestic oil market, the President has opted to import foreign petroleum and to bow before the Saudi Prince and beg him for more oil.

Mr. Scalise also noted that both Mr. Obama and Mr. Chu had made comments in the past in support of higher gas prices.

In 2008, Mr. Chu stated that "somehow, we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to levels in Europe."

In an interview, in 2009, President Obama was asked whether high gas prices may be what the country needs in order to serve as an incentive "so that we do shift to alternative means of energy... Could these high prices help us?"

The President responded that he "would have preferred a gradual adjustment" to high gasoline prices", rather than an abrupt increase in price.

"The fact that this is such a shock to American pocketbooks is not a good thing," he said.

Heh.....