Congressman Bill Sali stood on the floor of the U.S. House on June 3, speaking in support of National Men's Health Week. Strangely enough, it was all about gas and high school athletics.
From the Congressional Record:
Today, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 138, supporting National Men's Health Week. Not only should we be recognizing this important health issue this week, but Congress should also be addressing other issues critical to the American people, especially rising fuel prices.
As Americans across this country pay an average of $3.98 per gallon, these prices hit families, and particularly school children. Just yesterday, the Calhoun Times reported in Georgia that, and I quote, ``High gas prices hit high school sports. With gas prices soaring to record heights, the cost of taking teams on the road has become a looming storm on the horizon of high school athletics that has led some to worry what the future may have in store. All across the country, people are dealing with the pinch of high gas prices. With high school teams' main mode of transportation still the average school bus, which runs on diesel, costs are even higher.''
This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. We need to act now to lower gas prices.
Mr. Sali's solution: Hold a $1,000 a plate fundraiser hosted by oil company lobbyists, collect at least $21,000 in campaign contributions from oil company PACs and then vote against continuing timber payments to rural Idaho counties to protect oil company profits. In other words, crawl in bed with the oil companies.
His latest solution: open up more areas to drilling. That's despite studies showing that it would take decades before exploration and drilling in the Continental Shelf and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would provide even a few pennies a gallon in lower prices at the pump. An executive for the research firm Global Insight told Time that the move "would not have an impact."
In fact a solution that actually would lessen the impact of high fuel costs in a reasonable time while also providing long-term relief—increasing fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuels—Sali actually voted against.
Sali's Men's Health Week blustering is just that, bluster.
What a tool! Talk about reaching. First, where do we get the idea we have to provide a segment of the calendar for these causes. Seecond, why do congresscritters have to spout off on it. Third, this dipthong just deep-sixed funding for rural schools in order to protect oil company profits by refusing to charge the oil companies royalties for oil that the taxpayer owns.
Huh, if he wanted to tie men's health into fuel prices, why wouldn't he just encourage men to walk or ride their bikes to work? Sali's got no solutions.
Posted by: Sisyphus | June 19, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Yeah, those would have been logical suggestions but clearly he's only interested in making a political speech, not whether it's actually helpful or relevent to the issue at hand.
Posted by: MountainGoat | June 19, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Speaking of bluster, check out what Sali apparently said at the GOP convention - that if Americans elect a Democratic president and keep a Democratically controlled Congress, "The America that we know, that the founding fathers envisioned, will cease to exist.”
MG, I think that is most worthy of your memorable quotes sidebar.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | June 23, 2008 at 09:02 AM
Absolutely Julie. A little late but it's finally been added.
Posted by: MountainGoat | July 02, 2008 at 08:15 AM