U.S. Rep.

Melissa Hart, R-4th, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, voted Wednesday for legislation that would prohibit price gouging in the gasoline, diesel fuel, crude oil and home heating oil markets.Hart also voted Wednesday to support a separate measure that seeks an end to bureaucratic delay in the permitting process for new refineries and establishes a federal coordinator to expedite the development of oil refineries in the United States."While market pressures, such as increased worldwide demand in places like China and India, have resulted in higher gasoline prices, the federal government has an obligation to ensure that people are not being subjected to artificially high prices," Hart said in a news release."This legislation enhances the government's ability to find violators and increases the penalties for those found guilty of raising prices to line their pockets."The Federal Energy Price Protection Act, which passed the House of Representatives, makes wholesale price gouging violations punishable by up to two years in prison, a maximum fine of $150 million or both. In addition, retail sale violators can be hit with a $2 million fine, imprisonment for two years or both.———The Social Security and Medicare boards of trustees Monday released their annual actuarial report that showed both programs in need of attention, said U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd."The results of (Monday's) report clearly demonstrate the Social Security retirement program and Medicare, the health care safety net for retirees, are very much at risk," said English, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee which has jurisdiction over the entitlement programs"Knowing this,"he said in a news release, "Congress should move forward and have the courage to deal with the inter-generational challenges of putting the programs on a sound financial basis."According to the report, at the current rate of expenditures, the Medicare HI Trust Fund will exhaust its assets by 2018, while the Social Security Trust Fund will be bankrupt by 2040.To view a summary of the study visit: www.ssa.gov/OACT/TRSUM/tr06summary.pdf.———The state Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by state Sen.

Mary Jo White, R-21st, Tuesday held the second hearing on how best to craft a state program to reduce mercury emissions.Those testifying included representatives of coal, business, health and environmental organizations.White will schedule a third hearing for testimony from state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty, as well as public health experts."Several committee members have serious concerns over statements made by Secretary McGinty at the committee's first hearing last week,"said White, "which have apparently misrepresented both the position of the mineworkers and the coal association, as well as the timing of when the secretary learned of these positions."In March 2005, the United States became the first nation in the world to regulate mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. States have until November 2006 to indicate to the federal government how they intend to implement the mercury emission reduction rule.White spearheaded legislation that would require Pennsylvania coal-fired power plants to reduce mercury emissions by 86 percent no later than 2018.In a news release, White said the two hearings have highlighted several concerns with the DEP plan, including:• It will provide no added environmental or health benefits to PA residents.• It will lead to higher energy costs.• It does not protect Pennsylvania bituminous coal jobs, but in fact may encourage fuel switching to bituminous coal mined in West Virginia and Kentucky.Also, According to the United Mine Workers of America, the DEP plan may be unconstitutional with its intended preference for bituminous coal."Any plan to reduce mercury emissions must be the result of sound science and honest dialogue,"White said in the release, "and achieving that is the bipartisan goal of this committee."