Press Releases
Apr 24, 2008
House Republican Leaders’ Hypocrisy on Gas Prices
Just when you think
you’ve seen everything, Republicans leaders hypocritically attack Democratic
leaders on high gas prices. What Republican leaders failed to mention is that
they are some of Big Oils’ best friends – having received more than a million
dollars in campaign contributions. It’s not surprising that Republican leaders
received so much from Big Oil special interests – they blocked every Democratic
effort to lower gas prices.
“House Republican
leaders saying anything about the need to lower gas prices is laughable given
their close relationship with Big Oil,” said
BACKGROUND
Total Amount from
BIG OIL to GOP Leadership: $1,597,045
Minority Leader John
Boehner (R-OH)
Ø
Total Amount Boehner has accepted from the Oil and Gas
Industry: $163,250
Minority Whip Roy
Blunt (R-MO)
Ø
In
2008: Blunt is 10th highest recipient of oil and gas money in Congress –
accepting $55,800
Ø
Total Amount Blunt has accepted from the Oil and Gas
Industry: $318,898
Conference Chairman
Adam Putnam (R-FL)
Ø
Total Amount Putnam has accepted from the Oil and Gas
Industry: $63,300
Policy Chairman
Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI)
Ø
Total Amount McCotter has accepted from the Oil and Gas
Industry: $15,950
NRCC Chair Tom Cole
(R-OK)
Ø
In
2008: Cole is the 14th highest recipient of oil and gas money in Congress –
Accepting $45,350
Ø
Total Amount Cole has accepted from the Oil and Gas
Industry: $271,050
Representative Kay
Granger (R-TX), Conference Vice-Chair
Ø
In
2008: Granger is 6th highest recipient of oil and gas money – Accepting
$66,300
Ø
Total Amount Granger has accepted from the Oil and Gas
Industry: $490,847, making her the14th highest recipient of Oil and Gas Money in
the House of Representatives
Representative John
Carter (R-TX), Conference Secretary
Ø
Total Amount Carter has accepted from the Oil and Gas
Industry: $129,550
Representative Eric
Cantor (R-VA), Chief Deputy Whip
Ø
In
2008: Cantor is 25th highest recipient of oil and gas money in Congress –
Accepting $27,200
Ø
Total Amount Cantor has accepted from the Oil and Gas
Industry: $144,200
Source: center for
responsive politics, campaign finance data, Accessed:
4/24/08
Total amount based
on calculations from 1989-2008.
Democratic Legislation
The No Oil Producing
and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act - H.R. 2264 – enables the Department of
Justice to take legal action against OPEC-controlled entities for participating
in oil cartels that drive up oil prices. Passed: May 22,
2007
The Energy Price
Gouging Act – H.R. 1252 – provides immediate relief to consumers by giving the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the authority to investigate and punish anyone
who artificially inflates the price of energy. Passed: May 23, 2007
Renewable Energy and
Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008 - H.R. 5351—
ends subsidies to
Big Oil companies and invests in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Passed: February 27, 2008
Market Manipulation
Provisions in the Energy
The Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 – made it illegal to report false
information on the wholesale price of gasoline and required the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) to enforce and punish those found guilty of market
manipulation. Signed into law: December 2007.
Cost of gas in
[AAA Daily Fuel Gage
Report, http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/OHmetro.asp]
