CONGRESSMAN BISHOP CALLS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ACTION ON PROPANE SHORTAGES
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) and seventy-two of his colleagues sent the following letter to President Barack Obama, inviting the President to work with Congress to address the current propane market supply issue causing shortages across the United States.
“For many families, farms, and producers in Georgia, maintaining open access to sufficient propane resources is critical for success,” said Congressman Bishop. “For example, poultry farmers in Georgia need propane to warm their chicken houses. When resources deplete, costs rise for the producer and in turn increases the price of chicken in our restaurants and grocery stores. Working to address the propane shortage is not just good for everyday Georgians but also just plain common sense.”
As the Members write in the letter, "Several factors are contributing to the current price increases and supply shortages, including a large, wet harvest, unseasonably cold weather, and transport disruptions. With extremely cold weather conditions likely to persist, many of our constituents are on the verge of a potentially dangerous situation with few options. Any further reduction in supply threatens to leave many Americans without the fuel necessary to heat homes, businesses, and livestock and poultry operations."
The Members state further that, "We understand the current propane market supply issue causing shortages in many regions of the country is a complex situation with a number of contributing factors which cannot be ignored…We are prepared to help find responsible solutions…Given the importance of this situation to consumers, we urge you to do everything in your power to address this problem without delay."
To view a scan of the letter, please click here.
Below is the full text of the sent letter:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We understand the current propane market supply issue causing shortages in many regions of the country is a complex situation with a number of contributing factors which cannot be ignored. Now, with more than twenty states making disaster declarations, we write to express our sincere interest in seeking solutions to the predicament.
Several factors are contributing to the current price increases and supply shortages, including a large, wet harvest, unseasonably cold weather, and transport disruptions. With extremely cold weather conditions likely to persist, many of our constituents are on the verge of a potentially dangerous situation with few options. Any further reduction in supply threatens to leave many Americans without the fuel necessary to heat homes, businesses, and livestock and poultry operations. Given the importance of this situation to consumers, we urge you to do everything in your power to address this problem without delay.
We thank you for recent actions taken and ask that you take additional steps to help improve this dire situation. We are prepared to help find responsible solutions. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to hearing from you regarding options to alleviate the propane fuel supply shortage and assisting in any way possible.
Sincerely,
Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-GA)
Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN)
Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)
Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI)
Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA)
Rep. Paul C. Broun (R-GA)
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL)
Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY)
Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA)
Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Rep. William L. Enyart (D-IL)
Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA)
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL)
Rep. Chris Gibson (R-IL)
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA)
Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR)
Rep. H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS)
Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD)
Rep. George Holding (R-NC)
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC)
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI)
Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC)
Rep. David P. Joyce (R-OH)
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)
Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)
Rep. Steve King (R-IA)
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL)
Rep. John Kline (R-MN)
Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA)
Rep. Robert E. Latta (R-OH)
Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA)
Rep. Billy Long (R-MO)
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH)
Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME)
Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI)
Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD)
Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN)
Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS)
Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN)
Rep. Gary C. Peters (D-MI)
Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-MN)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS)
Rep. Mike Quigley (R-IL)
Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY)
Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI)
Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA)
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL)
Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL)
Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-MP)
Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL)
Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA)
Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL)
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE)
Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE)
Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA)
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)
Rep. Marc Veasey (R-TX)
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI)
Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN)
Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN)
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)
Rep. Todd Young (R-IN)