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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Pamela Heisey
c: 415-299-0898 | w: 510-868-0894 | e: pamela@maplight.org | t: @imonlyabill

Senators Funded by Oil & Gas Introduce Bill that Would Grant Congress Final Say on Keystone Pipeline

WASHINGTON

On Monday, Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), along with 44 co-sponsors, introduced a bill ( S 2041) that would grant Congress the authority to approve the Keystone pipeline. President Obama has already said no to granting approval for the construction project, an outcome accelerated by language in the pay-roll tax law that required Obama to make a decision by late February. Construction of the pipeline that would span from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico is supported by the American Petroleum Institute, the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, the Consumer Energy Alliance, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, and the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association.

Below is an analysis conducted by MapLight of campaign contributions to senators from individuals and organizations connected to the Oil & Gas industry, made between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2011.

  • Out of the 36 senators who have the Oil & Gas Industry amongst their top 10 contributing industry groups, only five senators did not co-sponsor the bill.
  • Nineteen of the top 20 recipients of campaign contributions connected to the Oil & Gas industry co-sponsored the bill, the lone exception being Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who received a total of $424,700 from Oil & Gas interests.
Rank of Oil & Gas Industry
as a Contributor to Lawmaker
LawmakerBill Co-sponsor Total
(7/1/2005 - 6/30/2011)
1Sen. James Inhofe [R, OK]Yes$472,000
 Sen. John Hoeven [R, ND]Yes$251,789
    
2Sen. John Cornyn [R, TX]Yes$1,000,725
 Sen. David Vitter [R, LA]Yes$536,000
 Sen. Roger Wicker [R, MS]Yes$362,500
 Sen. John Barrasso [R, WY]Yes$347,650
 Sen. Kay Hutchison [R, TX]Yes$336,386
 Sen. Thomas Coburn [R, OK]Yes$184,650
 Sen. James Risch [R, ID]Yes$83,550
    
3Sen. Mary Landrieu [D, LA]No$424,700
 Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R, AK]Yes$314,526
    
4Sen. Mark Begich [D, AK]No$145,405
 Sen. Michael Enzi [R, WY]Yes$125,300
    
5Sen. Pat Roberts [R, KS]Yes$229,200
 Sen. John Boozman [R, AR]Yes$117,602
 Sen. Jeff Bingaman [D, NM]No$98,920
    
6Sen. Roy Blunt [R, MO]Yes$529,850
 Sen. Jerry Moran [R, KS]Yes$215,051
 Sen. Lamar Alexander [R, TN]Yes$156,050
 Sen. Daniel Coats [R, IN]Yes$147,183
    
7Sen. Kelly Ayotte [R, NH]Yes$127,783
 Sen. Joe Manchin [D, WV]Yes$122,700
 Sen. Thad Cochran [R, MS]Yes$81,550
 Sen. Mike Lee [R, UT]Yes$45,050
    
8Sen. Patrick Toomey [R, PA]Yes$263,516
 Sen. Mark Pryor [D, AR]No$144,650
    
9Sen. Mitch McConnell [R, KY]Yes$528,500
 Sen. Jeff Sessions [R, AL]Yes$104,700
 Sen. Rand Paul [R, KY]Yes$102,940
    
10Sen. Bob Corker [R, TN]Yes$339,250
 Sen. Robert Portman [R, OH]Yes$295,758
 Sen. Richard Burr [R, NC]Yes$224,600
 Sen. Marco Rubio [R, FL]Yes$200,750
 Sen. Ben Nelson [D, NE]No$193,550
 Sen. John Thune [R, SD]Yes$176,990
 Sen. Jim DeMint [R, SC]Yes$134,073

Click here to download a spreadsheet with contributions from Oil & Gas to all current members of the Senate (July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2011) and the House of Representatives (July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2011). The spreadsheet also includes contributions connected to Environmental protection interest groups.

METHODOLOGY: MapLight analysis of campaign contributions to current members of the U.S. Senate from organizations and individuals connected to the Oil & Gas industry, July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2011. Campaign contributions data source: OpenSecrets.org

A link to this data release can be found here.

MapLight is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that reveals money's influence on politics.