George Allen's responds to Obama administration's out of touch comment about fuel prices

Henrico, VA –George Allen released the following statement today in response to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s suggestion on ‘Meet the Press’ that energy costs have “not risen very much” for American families and small businesses.

“For the Obama administration to suggest that energy costs have ‘not risen very much’ in the past five months shows just how out of touch this administration is with the very real struggles Americans are facing in this economy.

“They should tell that to the mother with two children in Strasburg who could only afford $20 worth of gasoline, getting her only 5.1 gallons that day. Tell that to the owner of Mary's Diner in Danville who could not afford to deliver Meals on Wheels to Martinsville due to fuel prices. Tell that to Bill and Rebecca at Walter's Barbershop who are seeing fewer customers and smaller tips due to higher gasoline prices. And tell that to any restaurant or store owner having to pay fuel surcharges for deliveries. The Obama administration may not think rising gasoline and energy prices are severely straining budgets – but the families and small business owners of Virginia tell a different story.

“The Obama administration and their allies in Washington claim they are for an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy yet the White House blocked the Keystone XL pipeline and continues to prevent Virginia from safely producing natural gas and oil off our own coast. For American families and small businesses, Washington needs to put aside the partisan bickering and start doing everything in its power to unleash America’s plentiful energy resources.”

George Allen for U.S. Senate