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U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, was in New Britain the other day so I popped a question on a lot of our minds: “What are you and the Democrat-led Congress doing to stem rising energy prices?”

Murphy said the struggles people are having with gas prices “are part of the larger economic problem with rising costs of living. Our approach is to tackle our tax codes so as to give people a break on their federal taxes and put money back in their pockets.”

Congress, Murphy said, has tried to increase the supply of gas to lower prices. It has passed legislation to rescind the president’s ability to put petroleum into the strategic reserve. This could lead to a 25-cent decrease in the price of gasoline.

“We passed legislation to give federal prosecutors the ability to bring those who are price fixing to U.S.courts,” Murphy said. “This would hold accountable multi-national companies colluding to keep the price of gasoline artificially high.”

Murphy said the Democrats in Congress are trying to set some long-term strategies to make sure we aren’t beholden to a product — oil — that’s produced and priced largely outside of theUnited States.”

What was he talking about?

“Investing in renewable energy by giving individuals tax incentives to install solar panels and thermal systems in their homes, to find alternate sources to power their homes,” he said. “With the limited tools we have, we’re trying to control the price.”

Then came the kicker.

“It’s absolutely unconscionable in a time when energy prices are bankrupting American families that oil companies are making record profits,” he said. “We passed legislation that rescinds $16 billion in tax breaks oil companies have gotten and redirects tax subsidies to individuals to give them greater incentive to purchase hybridcars.”

Now that’s one solution. But have we forgotten our four years of Jimmy Carter? He cut tax breaks for oil companies; they stopped producing domestically and lines formed at the gaspumps.

Former Speaker of the House NewtGingrich understands this. As chairman of am organization, American Solutionsfor Winning the Future, he has garnered nearly 800,000 signatures ona petition urging Congress to start drilling domestically. For $10 and your signature onthe petition Gingrich will send you a “Drill Here. Drill Now. PayLess” bumper sticker. The petition urges Congress to lower gasoline prices by authorizingexploration of proven energy resources to reduce our dependence onforeignenergy sources from unstable countries.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada doesn’t believe the U.S. can drill its way out of this energy crisis.U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah does.

“It’s difficult to stand by while our soldiers are dying in the Middle East,” Hatch said, “and we are sending nearly $700 billion a year to (foreign) government-owned oil companies in that same region, and also to Russia and Venezuela, and not produce our own abundant sources of oil.”

If Republicans are looking for an issue this fall that resonates with voters, they might latch onto drilling inthe Arctic National Wildlife Range (ANWR), expanding oil extraction in the Gulf of Mexico and removing restrictions on harvesting oil shale in the West.

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio is for this approach. He has called it “insane that the Democrat-led Congress is still refusing to allow increased production of American energy.”

Newsbusters.org reports that Gingrich believes gas prices are an issue Republicans can capitalize on at the polls. But with John McCain leading the way, will they?

I’m wearing my single-breasted skeptical.

Scott Whipple can bereached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by calling (860)225-4601, ext. 319.

Editor’s note: The Senate version of the energy bill failed to move forward last Tuesday.