Executives from five of the nation's largest oil and gas companies testified before the U.S. Senate yesterday about high gas prices and record profits. Democratic California Senator Barbara Boxer asked the CEO's to give some of their profits back to help Americans in need. From Capitol Hill, Terry Gildea has more.
Instead of questioning the witnesses about the possibility of price gouging, Boxer presented a chart to the Senate committee detailing the annual salary and bonus of each oil executive present. She says she won't stand by and watch the average American be ripped off by big oil.
Boxer says the executives' bonuses alone are 155 times greater than the average American's salary.
Boxer asked each executive if they would donate a portion of their bonus to help low income families heat their homes this winter. Before the executives could answer, Boxer was cut off by Commerce Chairman, Republican Ted Stevens of Alaska. He said Boxer's questions about personal salaries were not relevant to topic of gas prices. In Capitol Hill, Terry Gildea, KPBS News.
