Make price-gouging federal crime, rep urges

WASHINGTON (AP) -- With gas prices above $3 a gallon in many places, Congress should pass legislation by Memorial Day to make price-gouging a federal crime, Sen. Maria Cantwell said Saturday in the Democrats' weekly radio address.
Cantwell, of Washington state, also called for increased investments in alternative fuel development to break what she called America's over-reliance on oil, particularly from other countries.
"It's time that we simply stop talking about energy independence and start running toward a future that will make America more secure and more economically competitive," she said.
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