'I don't think the big oil companies need to have the oil depletion allowances,' said Boehner. Boehner: Big oil to pay 'fair share'

House Speaker John Boehner says he’s open to calls from the White House to curb some of the $4 billion in oil and gas subsidies and tax incentives, as Washington continues to feel the heat over high gas prices.

Oil and gas producers are “gonna pay their fair share in taxes and they should,” Boehner told ABC News.


“I don't think the big oil companies need to have the oil depletion allowances. But for small, independent oil and gas producers — if they didn't have this — there'd be even less exploration in America than there is today.”

President Barack Obama is pushing for cutting $4 billion in oil and gas industry tax incentives to pay for green and renewable energy projects.

"I wanna see the facts. I don't wanna hear a bunch of political rhetoric," Boehner said, adding he wants to "look at the facts. And what will it do to have — its impact on jobs."

Boehner’s comments come amid not only record high gas prices but also big first quarter earnings major oil companies are expected to report later this week, at least compared with the dour situation for the industry and the overall economy during the first quarter of last year.

Boehner’s laurel of sorts is not guaranteed to bring about any particular concession on the part of Republicans to reduce some of the subsidies Obama and Democrats are trying to carve out.

“Listen, everybody … wants to go after the oil companies. And frankly, they’ve got some part of this to blame,” he said.

The oil industry has largely countered that the federal subsidies are a win for the economy and for jobs overall.

"This is a tired old argument we've been hearing for two years now,” said John Felmy, chief economist for the American Petroleum Institute. “The federal government by no stretch of the imagination subsidizes the oil industry. The oil industry subsidizes the federal government at a rate of $95 million a day."

Boehner also criticized Obama for not allowing more domestic oil and gas production and backing EPA climate change regulations affecting petroleum refineries as others.

“He’s not doing anything to make the situation better,” Boehner said.

“If we begin to allow more permits for oil and gas production, it would send a signal to the [marketplace] that America’s serious about moving toward energy independence. That signal, in and of itself, would calm these prices down quite a bit,” the speaker added.

House Republicans are planning floor votes on energy bills starting in May as part of their effort to ratchet up the debate over gas prices heading into the summer driving season.

“We're gonna have bills coming out of the Congress here next month. We're gonna send 'em to the Senate,” Boehner said. “Let's see if the Senate — if they pass 'em, whether the president will sign 'em.”

The first bill is expected to be one from House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) that would expedite the approval of drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Obama administration has stepped up its issuance of drilling permits in the Gulf after months of inaction following the historic spill there last year. Permits started being issued after industry coalitions came up with new well capping tools that would help companies meet new offshore safety and environmental standards handed down by the Interior Department last September, following an official five-month federal deepwater drilling ban.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 8:06 p.m. on April 25, 2011.