Video: Nation's senators grapple with skyrocketing gas prices

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BELLEVUE, Wash. - The AAA auto club says the average price of a gallon of gas in Washington is a record $3.80.

That's up 26 cents in the past month and 38 cents in the past year. It's also eight cents higher than the national average.

The AAA says the average price of a gallon of diesel in Washington is $4.53. That up 28 cents in the past month and $1.46 in the past year.

Looking at some metro areas around the state, the AAA says gasoline is most expensive at Bellingham at $3.88 a gallon and cheapest in Spokane at $3.65.

Some other cities, according to the AAA survey: Olympia $3.82, Seattle $3.82. Tri-Cities $3.76, and Vancouver $3.77.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., senators are grappling with solutions to the nation's skyrocketing gas prices.  This week senators vote whether or not to stop buying oil reserves and start burning it.

"No doubt about it, we're deeply concerned about the high price of gasoline which means that the United States Congress should not pass legislation that makes it harder to increase the supply of crude oil," said President Bush. 

President Bush and other Republicans favor more oil production, saying they're not ready to stop adding oil to the petroleum reserve where each day 70,000 barrels of oil are pumped into underground salt caverns off the Gulf Coast which now holds a 58-day supply. That's enough for the nation say senators from both parties, particularly Democrats. 

"Stop buying oil, taking it off the market and putting it in the ground when you got 95-97 percent of your reserved filled," said Senator Carl Levin, D-Michigan. 

Democrats say doing that could drop gas prices by 5 cents at the pump, maybe more if putting more oil on the market soothes trader speculation. But Republicans want a different energy plan that keeps oil company tax breaks and opposing a windfall profit tax on big oil as the Democrats propose.

The Senate vote on a GOP plan is scheduled for Tuesday, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised to bring up a Democratic package before the Memorial Day congressional recess. Except for halting the flow of oil into the government's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, neither plan is likely to go very far. Both will be challenged by filibusters by opponents, meaning they would require 60 votes to advance.