Our weekly update to unravel the industry and political spin around the energy debate
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
CUTTING OIL SUBSIDIES DOES NOT HURT THE CONSUMER
ProPublica brought some much needed attention to a Resources for the Future report showing that cutting taxpayer-funded, corporate welfare to Big Oil would only cost the average American about $2 per year.
BIG OIL AND CONGRESS GET COZY
On Thursday, Public Campaign Action Fund reported that Sen. Mike Crapo (R-KA) was scheduled to attend a BP-hosted fundraiser just an hour before BP America CEO Lamar McKay and other Big Oil executives testified to the Senate Finance Committee. Read more about BP’s influence.
HATCH EQUATES DRIVING YOUR KID TO SCHOOL WITH BUYING A LATTE
In last week’s Senate Committee on Finance hearing, Senator Orrin Hatch proved he’s completely out of touch with the pain American families are feeling from energy prices and proceeded to compare $4/gallon gas with an increase in buying coffee or movie tickets. Has Senator Hatch used a double-pump, half-caf latte to fill the tank when taking the Hummer out for a spin? Jennifer Dhlouy at FuelFix has the story.
MATTERS BUT NOT TO JOE BARTON
Rep. Joe Barton, who famously apologized to BP when they were told they had to pay for the worst oil spill in American history, now wants people to stop referring to oil companies as “Big Oil.” Apparently an industry that pulls in $32 billion in profits in just three months is very self-conscious about it’s size. Wonk Room has the story.
FIND YOUR NEAREST ‘FRACCIDENT’
Earthjustice has created a nifty map of ‘fraccidents:’ sites across the country reporting “poisoned water, polluted air, mysterious animal deaths, industrial disasters and explosions” brought on by hydraulic fracturing. See the map and state-by-state break out.
DID YOU KNOW?
Tea Party website climatechange.org reports Republicans in the House of Representatives are flocking to support a bill to extend and create a number of taxpayer-funded subsidies. Nearly eighty House Republicans (and a hundred Democrats) have signed up as sponsors of H. R. 1380, the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act (or NAT GAS Act).
COMING UP THIS WEEK
COSTLY VACATIONS
Members of Congress are home to explain to their constituents why they continue to support billion-dollar subsidies to the oil and gas industry. Meanwhile, American taxpayers continue to shell out $10.9 million/day in welfare to corporations that recently reported record profits.
CONTACT
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