Willow Street Shell gas station manager Syed Naqshband: This has been one of the most difficult years for his business in the 20-plus years he’s worked here. Yikes. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro stood next to a sign advertising $4.39-per-gallon gas at the Shell station on Willow Street and promise d to keep working to rein in rising energy prices — by curbing Big Oil’s “profiteering” as well as President Donald Trump’s “war of choice” in Iran. DeLauro issued that criticism and commitment on Monday morning during a press conference held on the sidewalk at the corner of Willow Street and Nicoll Street, right outside of the Shell gas station at 141 Willow. DeLauro said that gas prices across Connecticut have climbed to an average of $4.31 per gallon, and diesel to $6.43 per gallon, since the Trump administration attacked Iran on Feb. 28. That war, launched by the U.S. and Israel, has extended for nearly eight months and, among other impacts, has sharply restricted the flow of roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz. Monday marked just the latest pre-election press conference DeLauro has participated in connecting the high cost of living — and high energy prices in particular — with Trump’s war in Iran, a campaign strategy Democrats across the country are turning to with increasing frequency as they seek to regain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. DeLauro is seeking a 19th two-year term representing New Haven’s Third Congressional District; she faces challenges from Republican Chris Lancia, Independent Thomas Egan, and write-in candidate Andrew Rice. “For most families, gas is not a small price, nor is it an optional price,” DeLauro said on Monday. Many Connecticut residents need gas to get to work and school; they have to cut back spending elsewhere to afford ever-increasing energy prices. “Big oil companies, on the other hand, are living large,” she continued. She said that the stock prices for Exxon, Shell, and Chevron have jumped by over 20 percent since the start of the war. “Where does all the money go? A major portion will likely go to stock buybacks.” DeLauro touted the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act, which she is a cosponsor of and has been introduced in the House by California Democrat Ro Khanna and in the Senate by Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. Under that bill, large oil companies that produce or import at least 300,000 barrels of oil per day would have to pay a per-barrel tax equal to 50 percent of the difference between the current price per barrel of oil and last year’s average price per barrel of oil. The bill would also provide a quarterly rebate for income-eligible U.S. taxpayers. “The president started a war in the Middle East. It’s a war of choice,” DeLauro said on Monday. “Congress needs to act to lower energy prices and rein in President Trump’s costly foreign wars.” Monday’s press conference took place a week and a day before the midterm elections, when Democrats like DeLauro are hoping to regain control of Congress. If Democrats return to the majority in the House, DeLauro plans to try to return to her previous post as the chair of the Appropriations Committee. The presser also took place a day before parliamentary elections in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a challenge from the center-right by a former Israeli military chief named Gadi Eisenkot. Both the U.S. and Israeli elections could affect both countries’ continued prosecution of the war in Iran. If Democrats win big on Nov. 3, what would they do in Congress to try to rein in U.S. involvement in the war? DeLauro noted that the House of Representatives has passed a war powers resolution three times, but the Senate has not. If Democrats regain control of both chambers, she said, they will have more leverage to pressure the president to end the war. She also pointed back to legislation like the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act, which she said would “help to rein in the high cost [of energy] and keep the corporations for profiteering.” What about Tuesday’s election in Israel? How might that affect the U.S.’s involvement in the war in Iran? “It’s a close election,” DeLauro said. “What we will do is see what the results are and move [forward] accordingly” with the goal of trying to end this war. “We will try to work with whatever Israeli government is coming forward and look to see how we can act with them or without them.” Is there an outcome she’s hoping to see in Tuesday’s Israeli elections? Trump has endorsed Netanyahu. “I leave the midterm elections to the American people,” DeLauro replied. “I leave the Israeli elections to the Israeli people.” Meanwhile, inside the Shell station on Monday morning, manager Syed Naqshband said that this has been one of the most difficult years for his business in his 20-plus years running this particular gas station. He said that the price of gas at his station started at around $3.99 per gallon this year. It’s now $4.39. He said the war in Iran has undoubtedly contributed to rising prices at the station’s pumps. He also said he’s seen a roughly 20-25 percent drop in customers compared to last year. Click here to watch DeLauro’s press conference in full. DeLauro on Willow Street on Monday. The post As Election Nears, DeLauro Slams Big Oil, Iran War appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less