Gardner blames Obama for high gas prices

WASHINGTON, March 17 (UPI) -- Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., blamed President Barack Obama Saturday for not following through on policies that would reduce gas prices.

In the weekly Republican radio and media address, Gardner said seven energy bills are awaiting votes in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

"Unfortunately, the president has yet to follow through and urge the Senate to act. He's just carried on with more of the same," Gardner said.

Gardner said the president has called for raising energy taxes, which the congressman said the non-partisan Congressional Research Service predicted would lead to higher prices.

"The longer we let politicians like President Obama continue to block responsible American energy production, the longer our nation will continue to suffer with high gas prices and limited energy security," Gardner said.

"There's still time for the president to do the right thing and urge the Democratic-controlled Senate to act on bipartisan, House-passed energy bills. Let's seize this moment, expand freedom instead of government and secure our energy future once and for all."

Obama also has urged lawmakers to stop construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would move oil recovered from oil sands in Canada to the Gulf Coast, "despite overwhelming support for the project and the jobs that it would create -- and his lobbying may have made the difference in the vote," Gardner said.