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Skriven 2006-04-24 23:33:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060424b) for Mon, 2006 Apr 24
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Evening Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 24, 2006

Evening Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland



7:31 P.M. EDT

MR. McCLELLAN: I know there's a lot of interest in tomorrow's speech, and I
wanted to come back here and do kind of a general preview of it for you all
for tomorrow, which I think will be helpful for everybody. Tomorrow the
President will focus his remarks on what we're doing to address high gas
prices in the short-run, as well as what we're doing to eliminate the cause
of high gas prices in the long-run. We have a strong economy, but high gas
prices are like, as you have heard the President say, like an additional
tax on families that are trying to live within a budget, farmers and small
businesses. It puts a strain on working families and small businesses.

And the President will talk about why gas prices -- touch on why gas prices
are high. He will talk about how global demand for energy is really rising
faster than the global supply, because of countries like China and India,
and he'll talk about how gasoline demand is only projected to increase this
summer, and experts are projecting that gas prices will remain high through
the summer.

And he'll talk about how we're switching from one fuel mix to another,
transitioning from MTBE to ethanol in specialized fuel blends, and how that
is temporarily pushing gas prices up even more, as well.

So tomorrow the President is going the lay out a four-point plan that he
has for addressing high gas prices. Let me mention the four areas that
he'll cover. First, making sure that consumers and tax payers are treated
fairly -- and I'm going to talk a little bit more about that one aspect in
a minute -- promoting greater fuel efficiency is the second area, boosting
our gasoline supply at home is a third area, and then for the long-term
investing aggressively in alternatives to gasoline, so that we can
eliminate the root cause of high energy prices. And that's where he'll
really focus on the Advanced Energy Initiative, and how we're working to
transform the way we power our cars and trucks.

But anyway, jumping back to the first part of his plan. The first part is
to make sure that American consumers are treated fairly at the gas pump.
And the President will talk about how, at his direction, the Federal Trade
Commission is investigating whether the price of gasoline has been unfairly
manipulated in any way since the hurricanes struck last year.

Q At his direction --

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, at his direction, the Federal Trade Commission.

Q He's going to ask them to investigate, or they already are?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, at his direction, the Federal Trade Commission is
investigating.

Q Further?

MR. McCLELLAN: Whether the price of gasoline has been unfairly manipulated.
And also he's directed Department of Energy and Department of Justice to
conduct inquiries into possible cheating or illegal manipulation in the
gasoline markets. I think you all heard the President say very clearly that
we will not tolerate price gouging. And so these are two important
directives that the President has made.

Q He's directed Department of Justice and Department of Energy to do what?

MR. McCLELLAN: To conduct inquiries into possible cheating or illegal
manipulation in the gasoline markets.

Q -- taking these now, or --

MR. McCLELLAN: This is what we're directing these agencies to do.

Q -- it's effective yet?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, they are aware that he's directed them to do this, so
they are taking -- they are in the process of taking these steps. And also
tomorrow the Attorney General and the FTC will be sending a letter out to
all 50 states -- to all 50 state Attorney Generals, because the state
Attorney Generals have primary authority over price gouging issues. On that
letter I think they'll remind them to stay on top of this, and they'll also
talk about how the federal government is here to assist in those efforts.

And then one other area in this first part of his plan that he'll talk
about is that energy companies -- he'll essentially call on energy
companies to reinvest their profits into expanding refining capacity,
developing new technologies, and researching alternative energy sources.
That's an important responsibility, and that's something he will touch on
in the remarks, as well.

That's the part I wanted to preview. There are some additional steps that
he's going to be talking about in the remarks tomorrow that we're taking in
the short-run, and he'll spell those out, but I wanted to touch on that
first part of the plan, and some of what he's talking about there, as a
preview for tomorrow.

Q Are these steps that he's directed -- these directions he's given these
departments, when did he do this? He's already done it?

MR. McCLELLAN: It's recently. He's already -- I'll check the specific -- if
there's a more specific time. But you heard him talk about price gouging
recently. So he'll talk about how, at his direction, these agencies are
taking these steps.

Q Was this like around the time of Hurricane Katrina, or more recently?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, this is recently, just recently.

Q Like the last couple weeks?

MR. McCLELLAN: I just told you, I'll try to give you a more specific time.
I'll come back here and be glad to share that with you.

Q Does the President think any of these specifics that he's going to talk
about tomorrow will bring down the price at the pump within the next week
or month?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, if you'll recall, last week, and even before, we
talked about how -- in the long-run, to address rising gas prices, you have
to really address the root causes. And that's why the President outlined a
very bold initiative in the State of the Union to get us off our dependence
on foreign crude, or foreign oil. He's talked about how we are addicted to
oil. And so that's what you have to do in the long-run, is eliminate that
cause of high gas prices.

In the short-run, there are steps we can take to help address the problem.
And that's -- it's not only the steps I've mentioned just now, those are
some steps. But he's going to talk about some other steps that we're taking
as well to help address it in the short-run. This is not something we got
into overnight, it's not something we're going to get out of overnight. But
there are some steps we can take.

Q So will these actions help to bring down gas prices in the short term?

MR. McCLELLAN: It will help some in the short-run. But, again, the reason
why we are in this position is because of our dependence on foreign oil and
our addiction to oil, as the President has talked about. So it requires a
long-term solution.

Q I'm a little confused.

MR. McCLELLAN: We don't want you to be confused.

Q Yes, I know. The President has repeatedly said that the cause for high
gas prices is high global demand for oil. So what makes him suspect that
there's been any price manipulation when he already thinks that global
forces are pushing up the price of oil?

MR. McCLELLAN: It's important to make sure that there's not any price
gouging. The federal government has a responsibility to act, and we share a
commitment with congressional leaders to make sure that we are acting to
ensure that there is no price gouging. And that's what we will continue to
do. This is one part of steps we can take in the short-run.

Q Is there a suspicion? Is there anything that has caused you to suspect
that there is market manipulation, as opposed to just high demand?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, gas prices are high right now, and that's why you want
to make sure there's not. And so that's what he's going to be talking about
in that context.

Q I'm confused again, too. If the President had already directed the FTC
and these other people to do these things, why did Frist and Hastert write
to him today asking him to --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, when I say, "recently," he's just now directing them
to take these steps. That's why the letter is going out from the Attorney
General and the FTC. He talked about this last week a number of times. And
so that's the context in which you should look at it. But we've been in
close contact with Speaker Hastert and Leader Frist about these issues. We
are all on the same page when it comes to making sure that there is no
price gouging. And the President has said very clearly that this is
something we will not tolerate, particularly when gas prices are high.

Q The President has a number of personal contacts, and the Vice President
has personal contacts in the oil industry. Has there been any conversation
between either of them with oil executives to try and get them to either
give assurances about market manipulation, or try and bring down the price?

MR. McCLELLAN: We've previously talked about how all of us have a
responsibility to do our part when it comes to addressing high gas prices.
And that's something that we talked about before, and we're continuing to
talk about. Tomorrow the President is going to make very clear, in a public
way, that energy companies should reinvest those profits that they're
making back into new technologies and alternative sources of energy. You
know, if there are any updates on his calls, or things like that, I'll be
glad to share that with you at the appropriate time.

Q What are two and three again? I missed those. Could you go over those
two?

MR. McCLELLAN: Sure. They'll be in the transcript we'll have. They are
promoting greater fuel efficiency and boosting our fuel supply.

Q Will he mention ANWR tomorrow?

MR. McCLELLAN: This is the part I'm previewing in the speech today. The
speech is being finalized, and there will be more tomorrow. I didn't
preview everything.

Okay, thank you.

* * * * *

MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, quick update. On the FTC investigating possible price
gouging, that was -- the President did direct the FTC to do that in the
aftermath of the hurricanes last fall.

And then on the Department of Energy and Department of Justice conducting
inquiries into possible cheating or illegal manipulation of gasoline
markets, that's really happened in the last few days. The President will be
publicly announcing it tomorrow.

Q The FTC thing, that was something that you guys had announced previously?

MR. McCLELLAN: We had directed the FTC to do it in the aftermath of the
hurricanes.

Q Almost a year ago?

MR. McCLELLAN: We talked about it. The hurricanes were last September.

Q What's the status of that investigation?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the FTC could probably give you an update, in terms of
-- I think the Department of Energy even put out some information last
week, where they did some initial checks, and there were reports -- there
are ways for consumers to report possible incidents of price gouging. They
have a website and they have a toll-free number that they can call into. I
think to a large extent people were acting appropriately, but they did find
some instances where there problems. And the Department of Energy or FTC
can probably get you more on that.

Q Fuel mix was -- the fuel mix change was after Katrina, and the FTC and
the Justice Department was, what did you say, the last several days?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'd say the last few days. This is something we've been
talking about with congressional leaders about doing, as well, and as you
saw in the letter from Speaker Hastert and Leader Frist.

Q Has he been working on the speech on this flight?

MR. McCLELLAN: He has been, yes, and he's also been visiting with the
Congress folks that are on board.

END 7:54 P.M. EDT
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