With the summer driving months just around the corner, there is no question that the skyrocketing gas prices are on all of our minds. Gas prices are increasingly becoming a hefty and unanticipated burden to the family budgets of many Long Islanders, especially since our region has been among the hardest hit in the nation. Along with all of you, I have been alarmed as I have seen gas prices climb beyond the $4 per gallon price with no end in sight.

As you may have heard, I recently voted for and the House passed H.R. 6022, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act. This bill calls on the Department of Energy to temporarily stop filling the SPR until December 2008 or if oil prices drop below $75 per barrel. As a result of this temporary suspension, gas prices could be reduced by anywhere from 5 to 24 cents per gallon.

Every day, the US purchases 70,000 barrels of oil off the market to fill the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), a stock of oil that would be tapped into in the event of a national crisis where access to oil would be impeded or prohibitively expensive. Currently the SPR is about 97 percent full - the highest level ever - with enough oil to meet our national security needs.

The passage of this bill resulted in an almost immediate response from the Department of Energy, announcing that it would cease purchasing oil for the SPR. The president also signed the bill into law on May 19, 2008.

Additionally, I recently served on the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Committee, where I was part of a small group of lawmakers that helped to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill. One component of the Farm Bill that I was particularly proud to have voted for was the closure of the so-called "Enron Loophole." The Enron Loophole has allowed oil speculators to trade oil without the same regulation of other commodities, driving up energy prices and adding to market instability. Congress successfully overrode President Bush's veto and the farm bill became law on May 22.

Congress has also called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate price gouging, dedicate funding to the development of alternative energy and biofuels and repeal subsidies for profit-rich, big oil companies.

Finally, last week, I enthusiastically voted for the passage of two important bills that will help to reduce the burden of high energy costs. One of those bills, H.R. 6049, the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, will help expand the production and use of renewable energy, create jobs across the country and provide tax relief to middle class families. The other bill, H.R. 6074, the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act of 2008, will give American authorities the ability to prosecute anticompetitive conduct by international cartels like OPEC that restrict the supply of oil and conspire to drive up oil prices.

There is no question that we can and must do more to make gas less expensive to American families, but we also need to work to find ways in which we can consume less fuel and become less dependant on foreign oil. Realistically, on Long Island, we need our cars. We drive everywhere and we have few real alternatives right now. That's why I have worked so hard to pass legislation that will help our bottom line today, while looking toward long-lasting solutions for the future.

Please know that I share your concerns about our nation's economy and I am committed to doing everything that I can to help Long Island families deal with high gas prices.

It's an honor and privilege to serve as your representative in Washington. I encourage you to utilize my office as a resource and stay in contact as it enables me to better represent the beliefs and values of our district.