"Americans are smarter than this Congress thinks they are. They understand that plan the Republicans pushed through today provides no way to reduce gas prices and has no connection to hurricanes," said Rep. DeGette. "There will be a huge outcry when the public finds out that, instead of saving money or reducing energy prices, their tax dollars are going to refineries whose profits went up 255 percent last year."

The Republicans' energy bill, which was rushed through the U.S. House of Representatives in little over a week, provides taxpayer incentives for refinery construction. It also eliminates many of the clean air protections that allowed neighborhoods to keep refineries away from residential areas. In addition, the plan does nothing to reduce near-record gas prices and fails to significantly address price gouging.