Following is a statement from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after Meltdown Mike Bost said today he did not believe in climate change:
“After more than 20 years in Springfield, Meltdown Mike Bost has no problem taking thousands of dollars from the Big Oil companies, and doing their bidding by denying climate change and protecting Big Oil’s tax breaks,” said Brandon Lorenz of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Mike Bost has just shown once again that he will put the special interests and his donors first in Washington.”
BACKGROUND:
Bost has Accepted Over $15,000 from Oil and Gas Interest Groups. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Bost has accepted $15,100 from the Oil and Gas interest groups. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 10/16/14]
Bost has Accepted $10,000 from Koch Industries. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Bost has accepted $10,000 from Koch Industries. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 10/16/14]
Koch Industries Ranked in Top Three Among Polluters in America. In 2014 Rolling Stone reported: “The volume of Koch Industries’ toxic output is staggering. According to the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute, only three companies rank among the top 30 polluters of America’s air, water and climate: ExxonMobil, American Electric Power and Koch Industries. Thanks in part to its 2005 purchase of paper-mill giant Georgia-Pacific, Koch Industries dumps more pollutants into the nation’s waterways than General Electric and International Paper combined. The company ranks 13th in the nation for toxic air pollution. Koch’s climate pollution, meanwhile, outpaces oil giants including Valero, Chevron and Shell. Across its businesses, Koch generates 24 million metric tons of greenhouse gases a year.” [Rolling Stone, 9/24/14]
- Headline: Inside the Koch Brothers’ Toxic Empire [Rolling Stone, 9/24/14]
Bost Criticized Congressman Enyart for Opposing the Republican Budget. In June 2014, the Bost for Congress campaign released a piece of literature hitting Congressman Bill Enyart for his oppositionto H Con Res 96, Congressman Paul Ryan’s budget. [H Con Res 96, Vote #177, 4/10/14; Mike Bost Facebook, 6/2/14]
- Republican Budget Would Cut Corporate Tax Rate by 10 Percent. “That plan would collapse the current seven individual tax brackets into two and lower the top individual rate from 39.6 percent to 25 percent. The corporate rate would also be slashed to 25 percent, from its current 35 percent.” [The Hill, 4/01/14]
- Republican Budget Would Protect $45 Billion in Subsidies for Big Oil. “His budget would also protect $45 billion in tax subsidies over 10 years to oil companies, the top five of which are already reaping $93 billion in profits from 2013 alone.” [Center for American Progress, 4/01/14]