Smith chooses Big Oil over Alternative Energy – Twice!
Twice this week, Smith voted against collecting billions from Big Oil companies to fund alternative energy.
With his votes this week on alternative energy legislation, United States Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) told Oregon families, drivers and environmentalists whose side he’s on.
Big oil.
For the second time this week, Smith voted to let big oil companies – who are already reaping record profits – keep billions of dollars of excess profits rather than using that money to expand incentives for alternative energy development. A bipartisan group came forward and decided that alternative energy sources for Americans was more important than the big profits for big oil, but Smith stuck with his big oil friends. It’s no surprise, given the more than $250,000 Smith has gladly taken from the oil and gas industry.
"As Oregon families hit the roads this summer, they will know why fuel prices are only getting higher. Because Gordon Smith won't stand up for them and against Big Oil," DPO Executive Director Trent Lutz said. "While some elected officials look for solutions to our energy problems, Gordon Smith only looks away. His sights are set on helping his corporate oil contributors."
Today, Smith Voted to Gut Big Oil Tax Package And Let Big Oil Keep Their Billions.
Today, the Senate is considering a bipartisan package to provide tax incentives for alternative energy development by taxing big oil and gas companies. But Gordon Smith voted to impose a trigger that would gut the package and let the big oil companies keep the $29 billion they would have been forced to give up to fund alternative energy. [Senate Finance Committee Markup, 6/19/07; Dow Jones, 6/19/07; AP, 6/19/07; Chicago Tribune, 6/21/07; Vote #222, 6/21/07]
On Tuesday, Smith Voted Against Collecting Nearly $11 Billion From Big Oil Companies to Fund Alternative Energy.
During debate on the big oil tax package in the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, Smith voted for an amendment that would have allowed the oil and gas companies to keep $10.7 billion of the revenue that was to be spent on alternative fuel development. [Senate Finance Committee Markup, 6/19/07; Dow Jones, 6/19/07; AP, 6/19/07]
Top Committee Republican Agreed That Oil and Gas Tax Package is The Way to Go.
The penalties for big oil and gas companies earned bipartisan support, with Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Finance Committee's top Republican, saying, “We have entered a new era in energy markets...(that) requires a dramatic shift away from tax incentives for oil and gas production” and toward support for other energy sources and efficiency.
[AP, 6/19/07]
Smith Has Received More Than $250,000 in Campaign Contributions From Oil and Gas Industry.
The big oil & gas industry has contributed at least $259,975 to Gordon Smith’s Senate campaigns over the years.
[Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 6/20/07]
Posted June 21, 2007 Environment, Who Loves Gordon? 0 comments
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