Today, the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform released a 40-page report in an attempt to shift blame for the recent increase in gasoline prices away from Big Oil.
Chairman Darrell Issa and his Republican colleagues on the committee took in a grand total of $453,910 dollars from the oil and gas industry during the last election cycle. By contrast, the committee Democrats received $67,400.
“Today, the hundreds of thousands of dollars in Big Oil campaign contributions look a lot more like book royalties for defending Big Oil,” said Matthew Garrington, Denver-based deputy director of the Checks & Balances Project. “After accepting all that money, Chairman Issa and his fellow Republicans have written a grand conspiracy story to defend Big Oil in the face of high gas prices.”
“There’s nothing like a reading a good work of fiction,” continued Garrington. “I’ll have a glass of milk and a small plate of cookies to enjoy while I read Issa and company’s latest attempt to help the oil and gas industry, since obviously protecting $4 billion per year in taxpayer handouts a few weeks ago wasn’t enough.”
2010 election cycle oil and gas industry contributions*:
| Name | District |
Amount |
| Rep. James Lankford | OK-5 |
$119,960.00 |
| Rep. Darrell Issa | CA-49 |
$46,000.00 |
| Rep. Blake Farenthold | TX-27 |
$41,850.00 |
| Rep. Pat Meehan | PA-7 |
$40,450.00 |
| Rep. Tim Walberg | MI-7 |
$30,650.00 |
| Rep. Jason Chaffetz | UT-03 |
$21,500.00 |
| Rep. John Mica | FL-07 |
$20,500.00 |
| Rep. Dennis Ross | FL-12 |
$19,000.00 |
| Rep. Mike Kelly | PA-3 |
$17,250.00 |
| Rep. Trey Gowdy | SC-4 |
$15,250.00 |
| Rep. Frank Guinta | NH-1 |
$14,000.00 |
| Dr. Paul Gosar | AZ-1 |
$13,000.00 |
| Dr. Scott DesJarlais | TN-4 |
$10,300.00 |
| Rep. Connie Mack | FL-14 |
$10,000.00 |
| Rep. Jim Jordan | OH-04 |
$9,250.00 |
| Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle | NY-25 |
$8,250.00 |
| Rep. Patrick McHenry | NC-10 |
$5,000.00 |
| Rep. Todd Platts | PA-19 |
$4,400.00 |
| Rep. Dan Burton | IN-05 |
$2,800.00 |
| Rep. Raul Labrador | ID-1 |
$2,000.00 |
| Rep. Justin Amash | MI-3 |
$1,500.00 |
| Rep. Michael Turner | OH-03 |
$1,000.00 |
| Rep. Joe Walsh | IL-8 |
$- |
| Total |
$453,910.00 |
Drilling by the numbers:
The United States is a world leader in oil and gas production:
- The United States is the world’s third largest producer of oil in the world, producing about 9.1 billion barrels of oil per day. http://1.usa.gov/mLw8yA
- The United States is the world’s leading producer of natural gas, producing 26.2 billion cubic feet per year. http://1.usa.gov/mtkffZ
- More drilling rigs are located within the United States than all other countries in the world combined (United States: 1,830; Canada 143; all other countries, 1129).
- Oil and gas companies receive over $15 billion in taxpayer subsidies each year.
- President Obama targeted $43 billion in taxpayer subsidies over 10 years in his FY12 budget proposal. http://1.usa.gov/hzYwLZ
Access to drilling is simply not an issue on our public lands:
- Onshore drilling permits are expected to increase over 40% in 2011. http://on.doi.gov/kXQddK
- Oil and gas companies have failed to develop 57 percent of their existing leases. http://on.doi.gov/jwApQC
- Oil and gas companies have failed to develop nearly 7,200 onshore oil and gas permits where they have a green light to drill. http://nyti.ms/mpMkVS
*Data from www.opensecrets.org
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