Issue Position: Energy

Issue Position

Issue Position: Energy

Our elected officials in Washington voted in March to continue oil subsidies for the five largest oil companies, while they still complain that the government can ill-afford to keep paying out more than it takes in.

Washington's solution to the budget deficit is cutting programs that primarily benefit the poor and working class Americans, because they must protect the oil industry and the wealthy. Between 2005 to 2009, the largest oil companies have made a combined $485 billion in profits prompting John Hoffmeister, former CEO of Shell Oil to say that the "oil industry doesn't need subsidies because of sustained high oil prices."

Congress though, is stuck in a "big oil entitlement" rut that prevents them from looking out for the American people and the economic health of the nation. Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn had a bill passed to strip National Public Radio's federal funding, a move that followed the release of a "sting" video showing an NPR executive criticizing the Republican Party and saying the station didn't need millions of dollars in federal money. Based on ideology, not reality, our congress cut their budget. (That decreased our budget by .01%).

Source