Romney calls for firing top energy officials
Mitt Romney called Sunday for three of President Barack Obama's top energy or environment officials to resign or be fired for contributing to rising gas prices through what the Republican presidential hopeful labeled failed energy policies.
Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Romney labeled Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson the "gas hike trio" and said it was "time for them to go."
The former Massachusetts governor made a similar call at a campaign event Saturday in Illinois, the next major primary in the Republican presidential race to decide who will run against Obama in November.
According to Romney, Obama and the three top officials want higher energy prices in order to increase the viability of solar, wind and other alternative energy sources.
On Sunday, the AAA reported that the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline rose to $3.84 for an increase of almost 17% so far this year, according to www.fuelgaugereport.com.
Obama contends that oil prices are set by a global market and there is little that any administration can do in the short term to prevent price spikes like what is occurring now.
The president advocates a broad energy policy that invests in clean energy alternatives while continuing oil, gas and nuclear development. However, Republicans including Romney and the other presidential contenders call for accelerated drilling and development of U.S. oil and natural gas reserves.
In the Fox interview, Romney also claimed that Obama rejected the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada's tar sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast at the same time the government was giving $500 million to Solyndra, the failed solar panel manufacturer.
However, Romney's assertion misstated the timing of those events.
The Solyndra loan originated in 2009, Obama's first year in office, while the State Department rejected a permit for the Keystone pipeline earlier this year.
The permit was turned down after congressional Republicans forced a decision as planners continued seeking an alternate route through Nebraska requested by state officials.
TransCanada, the company developing the pipeline, has said it will reapply for approval of an alternate route, and in the meantime will construct one segment of the project from Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast that doesn't require State Department approval.
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Sources: ABC News, Bloomberg.com, CNN, Fox News, Youtube, Google Maps
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