Cantwell, Senate Democrats Demand Oil Execs Testify Under Oath

[Mass]

What will Stevens do? Come on the Senate floor and call them liars (as he did yesterday).

http://cantwell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=248878

Press Release of Senator Cantwell

Cantwell, Senate Democrats Demand Oil Execs Testify Under Oath

Senators Call For Sworn Testimony Amid Concerns That Oil CEOs Lied About Gas Price Gouging Cantwell Demands Senate Vote On Price Gouging Legislation

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and other Senate Democrats demand that oil company executives return to Congress and testify under oath, in light of Wednesday morning’s The Washington Post story casting doubt on the truthfulness of testimony offered by oil company CEOs at last week’s joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Energy Committees. Cantwell called on giant oil companies to return to congress and address growing concerns of gas price-gouging under oath. Cantwell also called on the full Senate to vote on her anti-price gouging legislation before they recess.

“The oil companies told us it is all about supply and demand,” said Cantwell, a member of both the Senate Commerce and Energy Committees. “Well we are demanding that they tell us about their supply under oath. The American people demand the truth and deserve answers. To this day, we have gotten neither. America’s Oil Executives must return to Congress and testify under oath. With Americans’ jobs, pensions, and businesses at stake, we owe the American people nothing less.”

In a letter to Chairman Ted Stevens of the Commerce Committee and Chairman Pete Domenici of the Energy Committee, Cantwell and others requested that hearings reconvene as soon as possible to take sworn testimony from oil CEOs about their roles in the Cheney energy task force and the recent run-up in American fuel prices. Cantwell also call on the Justice Department to investigate the alleged false statements.

“We asked Oil Executives simple questions and they gave us answers that may not be true,” said Cantwell. “In order to get to the bottom of high gas prices, we need honest answers that all Americans can believe.”

Cantwell is the chair of the Senate Democrats’ Energy Independence 2020 national campaign, working to break America’s overdependence on foreign oil, to protect working families from skyrocketing energy costs, and to stop unfair market manipulation by energy companies. We must stop price gouging, provide relief from high home heating costs, and invest in reliable sources of affordable fuel. By working toward energy independence, we can protect our environment, jumpstart our economy, and provide for a better future. Together, America can do better.



November 16, 2005

Honorable Ted Stevens Chairman Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation United States Senate Hart Building, Room 522 Washington, DC 20510-6125

Honorable Pete Domenici Chairman Committee on Energy and Natural Resources United States Senate Dirksen Building, Room 364 Washington, DC 20510-6125

Dear Chairmen Stevens and Domenici:

We were troubled to read allegations detailed in this morning’s Washington Post that cast doubt on the truthfulness of testimony offered by oil company CEOs at last week’s joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Energy Committees. Prior to the hearing, many of us officially requested that the witnesses—and in particular, the oil company CEOs—be sworn in to testify under oath. That request was denied. But in light of today’s revelations, we respectfully request that you reconvene hearings as soon as possible to take these witnesses’ sworn testimony about their roles in the Cheney energy task force and the recent run-up in American fuel prices.

Recalling these witnesses is crucial for at least two reasons. First, the integrity of this institution demands that false statements before Senate Committees must not be tolerated. As such, the implications of these witnesses’ testimony regarding the Vice President’s energy task force must be more fully explored.

Second, when one element of a witness’ testimony is called into question, it raises additional concerns about other statements offered during the course of a hearing. Many of us asked questions of these witnesses designed to help us understand the factors contributing to record-setting and tremendously volatile fuel prices, which are harming consumers, businesses and the American economy as a whole. But just as Majority Leader Frist has stated, the oil company executives who testified “did not… adequately answer the question of whether the sky-high gas prices we saw earlier this fall were entirely justified, and whether their companies' profit margins are appropriate given the hardships energy consumers are facing and will continue to face this winter." Recalling these witnesses to testify under oath will help us answer many of these lingering questions, and bolster the American people’s confidence in the integrity of the Senate’s investigation into this matter.

We believe the American people deserve real answers about the causes of the recent run-up in fuel prices. Given the complexities of national and international fuel markets, getting these answers will require more than a single hearing—and further requires that we demand the truth from witnesses who come before the United States Senate.

Thank you for your attention to this request. Sincerely,

Maria Cantwell, United States Senator

Frank Lautenberg, United States Senator

Barbara Boxer, United States Senator

Diane Feinstein, United States Senator

Tim Johnson, United States Senator

John Kerry, United States Senator