Sep 17, 2012
FACT CHECK: Congressman Guinta Claims Not to Support Oil Subsidies
Congressman Frank Guinta (NH-01) claimed during a candidate forum today that, instead of “picking winners and losers,” the federal government should either provide the same subsidies for all energy industries or none at all. However, Congressman Guinta has repeatedly voted to cut funding for renewable energy while protecting tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies to Big Oil.
FACT CHECK: Congressman Guinta voted to protect subsidies for Big Oil and cut funding for renewable energy.
Congressman Guinta Voted for the Ryan Budget, Which Pads Big Oil’s Pockets with Senseless Subsidies. “American families have been plagued by higher oil and gasoline prices over the past several years despite a significant increase in domestic oil production and rigs, and decline in consumption. But while high prices threaten the economy and family budgets, they enrich American oil companies with huge profits. Yet it appears that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed FY 2013 budget resolution would retain a decade’s worth of oil tax breaks worth $40 billion. And his budget would cut billions of dollars from investments to develop alternative fuels and clean energy technologies that would serve as substitutes for oil and help protect middle-class families from volatile energy prices as well as create jobs. In short, the Ryan budget compounds the cost of high oil and gasoline prices on the middle class.” [Center for American Progress, 3/20/12]
Congressman Guinta Voted Repeatedly to Cut Funding for Renewable Energy:
- In February 2011, Guinta voted to pass H.R. 1, “an appropriations bill for FY2011 that allocated just $1.5 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy. This was almost 40% below the President’s funding request and a 35% cut from the previous year.” [H.R. 1, Vote #147, 2/19/11; House Committee on Energy and Commerce, 6/18/12]
- In April 2011, Guinta voted for Rep. Paul Ryan’s FY2012 budget proposal, which “outlined significant budget cuts for energy programs, reducing overall funding by 83% by 2020. Rep. Ryan called for spending cuts for renewable energy and energy research and investment in particular, declaring this ‘corporate welfare spending’ best left to the private sector.” [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; House Committee on Energy and Commerce, 6/18/12]
- In March 2012, Guinta voted for Rep. Paul Ryan’s FY2013 budget proposal, “which again included draconian cuts to energy programs. This Ryan budget proposed to reduce funding for energy programs by almost 50% by 2022.” [H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12; House Committee on Energy and Commerce, 6/18/12]
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