It's no secret that coal and oil reign supreme – not because coal and oil are the best energy options, but because the coal and oil industries shell out the most cash for our elected officials.
If this wasn't the case, there would be no need for Big Oil and King Coal to pony up all those millions of dollars every year in campaign contributions. It's amazing at what a few bucks can do to keep all those fossil fuel subsidies flowing.
Of course, we're not the only ones screaming from the rooftops that something is terribly wrong here. In fact, there's a website called dirtyenergymoney.com, which tracks all that filthy lucre that moves from the conventional energy industry to Washington.
Here are few findings from the good folks at Dirty Energy Money, as reported by Steve Kretzmann at Oil Change International:
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Overall, the coal industry has been friendlier to the Democrats than Republicans thus far in the 111th Congress, with over $3.7 million going to Democratic members of the House and Senate, compared with about $2.8 million to Republicans.
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Republicans continue to take more oil and gas money, with the oil and gas industry contributing over $5.1 million to Republicans and $3.1 million to Democrats.
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Senators voting in favor of a narrowly defeated June 10 resolution sponsored by Senator Murkowski that would have weakened the Clean Air Act and blocked new fuel economy standards, took on average two and a half times as much Dirty Energy Money as those who voted against it.
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Senators who voted against a June 15 vote sponsored by Senator Sanders that would have eliminated big oil and gas company subsidies have taken more than 3 times more oil and gas money in this Congress than those who voted for the amendment.
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House votes exhibit similar trends. Members who voted against the recently passed CLEAR Act (HR 3534), which removes the liability cap for oil spills and reforms oil and gas industry regulations, took nearly five times the amount of oil and gas money on average in the 111th than those voting for the Act.
To see how much dirty energy money your local politician has received, click here now.
Jeff
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