White House threatens veto of energy bill | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

White House threatens veto of energy bill | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Tuesday threatened to veto a broad energy conservation bill under consideration in the Senate, if lawmakers try to ban price gouging or swipe at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. As the Senate began what will likely be several days of debate on the energy package, the White House Office of Management and Budget took aim at a provision that would make price gouging at the gasoline pump a federal crime if the president declared a national energy emergency. More than two dozen states have price gouging laws, but federal law does not address the issue. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has pointed to the price gouging language as evidence the Democrat-controlled Senate is doing something about high gasoline prices. But the administration argues a price-gouging provision would do nothing to alleviate prices. Echoing oil industry arguments, the White House said price gouging language "could result in gasoline price controls and in some cases bring back long gas lines reminiscent of the 1970s." The sponsor of the language, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., contends: "A strong federal statute that says you are crossing the line is needed. I don't see why anybody would be concerned that we're prohibiting wrongdoing." A somewhat different price gouging bill has already passed the House. That measure also drew a veto threat. The Senate may also try to attach the "No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels" or "NOPEC" provision.

Help me here.....The president will veto the energy bill because it would make price gouging a federal crime?  Let's see now, the president comes from a long line of oil interests among friends and family.  Doesn't this seem insane?  I wonder why the major news outlets isn't picking this one up?