Heller presses energy secretary, Berkley on gas prices

For the past week, Republicans have been looking to capitalize on a comment by Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who was asked at a U.S. House hearing on Feb. 28 about the goal of the Obama administration when it came to the climbing-again price of gasoline.

"The overall goal is to decrease our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy,” Chu responded.

“We agree there is great suffering when the price of gasoline increases in the United States, and so we are very concerned about this,” Chu told the House appropriations energy and water subcommittee. “As I have repeatedly said, in the Department of Energy, what we’re trying to do is diversify our energy supply for transportation so that we have cost-effective means.”

That comment set off a flurry of GOP press releases and tweets attacking the administration for seeming inattention to rising gas prices that have certainly caught the attention of motorists.

Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., became the latest Republican to charge the Obama administration was failing to "address this threat to our fragile economy," as he put it in a letter to the energy secretary that was dated Monday and made public Tuesday.

Heller requested Chu produce a "detailed outline of steps the Department of Energy is taking to protect American consumers and address the negative impact of rising retail gas prices on our economy."

Then, Heller turned his guns on his Senate election opponent, Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley. In a press release, Heller asked whether Berkley was "standing with Nevada or Obama?" He raised Berkley's 2009 vote for the "cap and trade" strategy to combat greenhouse gas emissions that also would be expected to increase energy prices in the process.

"As gas prices rise, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley will have to decide whether to walk in lockstep with President Obama or stand up for Nevadans. The seven-term Congresswoman should do what’s best for Nevada, join Dean Heller, and demand that Obama straighten his priorities,” said Chandler Smith, Heller's campaign spokeswoman.

It was a turn on offense for Heller, who has been on the butt end of attacks by Berkley on energy, and specifically what she says are votes "for taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil companies."

Berkley's camp responded to Heller today by recycling a video clip it produced last week questioning what Heller has done lately to bring down the price of gasoline.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama was questioned about gasoline prices at a White House press conference today. Fox News reporter Ed Henry noted there are those who believe Obama wants prices to get higher as a way to wean Americans off fossil fuels.

"Just from a political perspective, do you think the president of the United States going into reelection wants gas prices to go up higher?" Obama responded to laughter. "Is there anybody here who thinks that makes a lot of sense?

"I want gas prices lower because they hurt families," Obama said, adding "a lot of folks are already operating on the margins right now."

But, Obama said, "there is no silver bullet" to bring down gas prices. He touted his actions to double energy efficiency standards for cars, develop "clean energy", unclog "bottlenecks" in the supply chain, and combat price speculation. Those approaches have helped reduce oil imports, he said.

Also, he said, "We're concerned about what's happening in terms of production around the world. "

"But we go through this every year," Obama said. "We've gone through this for 30 years. And if we are going to be competitive, successful, and make sure families are protected over the long term, then we've got to make sure that we've got a set of options that reduce our overall dependence on oil."