I trust that my colleagues are hearing from their constituents, both individual and business, as I am, with complaints ever more vociferous about the strain this price spike in gasoline is putting on their family and business budgets. As these energy and transportation costs continue to climb, the cries for help will also increase. The squeeze is now being felt across the country, but it constitutes for us in the Northeast the second chapter of this current sad story of energy pricing since, as I know you know, Mr. President, the State of Connecticut and the entire Northeast was particularly hard hit by a prolonged price shock in home heating oil, which more than doubled in a space of months the amount people in our region of the country were paying. Last week, on Thursday, several Members of Congress in both parties were invited to the White House for a meeting of the President, Secretary Richardson, Secretary Summers, and others in the administration to discuss these matters. It was a spirited discussion and one that represented a very good exchange.
Work goes on and discussion goes on.
This idea could be a model in energy shortages in other regions. Some regions dependent on propane, for instance, might create similar reserves that could be used to effect when artificial prices create dramatically increasing prices. I look forward to continuing those discussions with the administration. Let me turn now to the gasoline price increase which is now going across the country and has very significant ramifications for our economy overall. My apologies to Ernest Hemingway.