Big Oil's Free Ride
Instead of working for the American people, many lawmakers are shilling for Big Oil.
Over Memorial Day weekend, tens of millions of Americans will take road trips, emptying their wallets at the pump.
The oil industry hardly needs the boost this year. Just in the first quarter of 2011, oil companies posted billions of dollars in profits. They're raking it in while working families are shelling out their earnings to pay at the pump. On top of those massive profits, the oil industry also benefits from tax breaks of $4 billion each year.
Outrageously, Big Oil believes that it somehow deserves this special treatment. ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva recently went as far as to call repealing oil industry tax breaks "un-American."
Adding insult to injury, lawmakers in the Senate have been unable to get the 60 votes they need to end these tax breaks. GOP leaders blocked altogether a recent attempt to bring up the issue for a vote in the House of Representatives. At a time when Americans are struggling to support their families, put food on the table, and fill up their gas tanks, giveaways to Big Oil make no sense.
As Congress continues to pass bills favorable to Big Oil -- from accelerating the issue of off-shore drilling permits to shelling out oil industry tax breaks -- we continue to see signs that our leaders are more interested in helping campaign contributors than average Americans.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, House members who voted to continue oil subsidies received, on average, five times more money in 2010 from oil and gas interests. Instead of working for the American people, many of these members of Congress are shilling for Big Oil.
Public support for ending oil industry subsidies is overwhelming. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal pollfound that 74 percent of voters support eliminating oil company tax breaks. It's clear that we need leaders who will stand up to Big Oil and support the American people's call to eliminate its tax loopholes.
We can't afford the status quo. America's leaders need to act immediately to break our nation's dangerous dependence on oil and end the industry's grip on our political system. We can begin by eliminating billions of dollars in tax giveaways to oil companies and using these funds to support transportation choices and deficit reduction.
It's time to invest more in modern, clean, efficient vehicles and smart transportation. We need to build a modern transportation infrastructure, make cars that get at least 60 miles per gallon by 2025, and invest in electric cars.
Domestic manufacturing of these cars and trucks and a modern transportation network won't only end our dependence on oil. It will also save consumers thousands of dollars at the pump, create good jobs here at home, and restore America's manufacturing might.
We're tired of the special interests calling the shots for Congress. It's high time our leaders represented the interests of the people, not Big Oil.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Over Memorial Day weekend, tens of millions of Americans will take road trips, emptying their wallets at the pump.
The oil industry hardly needs the boost this year. Just in the first quarter of 2011, oil companies posted billions of dollars in profits. They're raking it in while working families are shelling out their earnings to pay at the pump. On top of those massive profits, the oil industry also benefits from tax breaks of $4 billion each year.
Outrageously, Big Oil believes that it somehow deserves this special treatment. ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva recently went as far as to call repealing oil industry tax breaks "un-American."
Adding insult to injury, lawmakers in the Senate have been unable to get the 60 votes they need to end these tax breaks. GOP leaders blocked altogether a recent attempt to bring up the issue for a vote in the House of Representatives. At a time when Americans are struggling to support their families, put food on the table, and fill up their gas tanks, giveaways to Big Oil make no sense.
As Congress continues to pass bills favorable to Big Oil -- from accelerating the issue of off-shore drilling permits to shelling out oil industry tax breaks -- we continue to see signs that our leaders are more interested in helping campaign contributors than average Americans.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, House members who voted to continue oil subsidies received, on average, five times more money in 2010 from oil and gas interests. Instead of working for the American people, many of these members of Congress are shilling for Big Oil.
Public support for ending oil industry subsidies is overwhelming. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal pollfound that 74 percent of voters support eliminating oil company tax breaks. It's clear that we need leaders who will stand up to Big Oil and support the American people's call to eliminate its tax loopholes.
We can't afford the status quo. America's leaders need to act immediately to break our nation's dangerous dependence on oil and end the industry's grip on our political system. We can begin by eliminating billions of dollars in tax giveaways to oil companies and using these funds to support transportation choices and deficit reduction.
It's time to invest more in modern, clean, efficient vehicles and smart transportation. We need to build a modern transportation infrastructure, make cars that get at least 60 miles per gallon by 2025, and invest in electric cars.
Domestic manufacturing of these cars and trucks and a modern transportation network won't only end our dependence on oil. It will also save consumers thousands of dollars at the pump, create good jobs here at home, and restore America's manufacturing might.
We're tired of the special interests calling the shots for Congress. It's high time our leaders represented the interests of the people, not Big Oil.
Over Memorial Day weekend, tens of millions of Americans will take road trips, emptying their wallets at the pump.
The oil industry hardly needs the boost this year. Just in the first quarter of 2011, oil companies posted billions of dollars in profits. They're raking it in while working families are shelling out their earnings to pay at the pump. On top of those massive profits, the oil industry also benefits from tax breaks of $4 billion each year.
Outrageously, Big Oil believes that it somehow deserves this special treatment. ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva recently went as far as to call repealing oil industry tax breaks "un-American."
Adding insult to injury, lawmakers in the Senate have been unable to get the 60 votes they need to end these tax breaks. GOP leaders blocked altogether a recent attempt to bring up the issue for a vote in the House of Representatives. At a time when Americans are struggling to support their families, put food on the table, and fill up their gas tanks, giveaways to Big Oil make no sense.
As Congress continues to pass bills favorable to Big Oil -- from accelerating the issue of off-shore drilling permits to shelling out oil industry tax breaks -- we continue to see signs that our leaders are more interested in helping campaign contributors than average Americans.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, House members who voted to continue oil subsidies received, on average, five times more money in 2010 from oil and gas interests. Instead of working for the American people, many of these members of Congress are shilling for Big Oil.
Public support for ending oil industry subsidies is overwhelming. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal pollfound that 74 percent of voters support eliminating oil company tax breaks. It's clear that we need leaders who will stand up to Big Oil and support the American people's call to eliminate its tax loopholes.
We can't afford the status quo. America's leaders need to act immediately to break our nation's dangerous dependence on oil and end the industry's grip on our political system. We can begin by eliminating billions of dollars in tax giveaways to oil companies and using these funds to support transportation choices and deficit reduction.
It's time to invest more in modern, clean, efficient vehicles and smart transportation. We need to build a modern transportation infrastructure, make cars that get at least 60 miles per gallon by 2025, and invest in electric cars.
Domestic manufacturing of these cars and trucks and a modern transportation network won't only end our dependence on oil. It will also save consumers thousands of dollars at the pump, create good jobs here at home, and restore America's manufacturing might.
We're tired of the special interests calling the shots for Congress. It's high time our leaders represented the interests of the people, not Big Oil.