"We think the import fee is the wrong direction," said one source involved in the report's preparation.

An import fee would set a floor under prices.

Had the import fee been in effect, the bill would have been $192 higher.

This could come through an import fee or a rise in world oil prices.

A Republican president actually imposed an import fee on oil to curb consumption!

The reasoning is that an import fee would interfere with the free market.

The import fee is unpopular politically because it means Americans will have to pay higher prices for the energy they consume.

And like the gasoline tax, an import fee would promote conservation by making energy more expensive.

The import fee would also promote energy conservation and reduce this country's dependence on foreign oil.

But critics contend that an import fee is a threat to long-term national security.