Daily News

Barbara Barrett, Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON -

It cost Kevin Narron $500 in diesel fuel to truck a load of Eastern North Carolina barbecue to Congress this week and another $200 in propane to cook it, and he sure wishes the officials eating his ‘cue Thursday would do something about high fuel prices.

There among the dining crowd was Democratic Rep. G.K. Butterfield of Wilson, who wants to fine gas station owners $1 million for price gouging. And staff members of Republican Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte, who wants to open the Atlantic coast to natural gas drilling.

Narron, head caterer for Bill Ellis Barbecue of Wilson, was serving the luncheon for a group of North Carolina insurance agents in town for a conference. Such luncheons are common on Capitol Hill, low-key events where staffers and lawmakers get free food and constituents press their issues.

But high-priced fuel dominated many conversations.

"It’s three times what it used to be in the last two years," Narron said as he kept watch over the buffet table.

Washington hears the pain. With gas prices about $3 a gallon, Exxon Mobil posting soaring profits and crude oil topping $70 a barrel, politicians are scrambling to respond. At least two North Carolina representatives were at an Agriculture Committee hearing on the issue Thursday. The state’s congressional representatives are jumping aboard energy bills to fine gas station owners $1 million for gouging or to open the Atlantic coast to offshore natural gas drilling.

GOP Sens. Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole have links on the issue on their Web sites, Democratic Rep. David Price of Chapel Hill has an online letter to constituents on his and Rep. Brad Miller, a Raleigh Democrat, brought up the question at a Science Committee hearing Thursday. (more…)

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