Big Oil Blunt Goes to His Base (in Texas)

Texas Consultant Admits Blunt Isn't Working For Missouri, Says "He Votes for Us"

Today, Congressman Blunt is back to business as usual -- rubbing elbows with the corporate special interests that are funding his campaign. Congressman Blunt is no stranger to the Big Oil crowd -- he has voted to have their back at every twist and turn and taken over $1 million from Big Oil and energy interests during his 14 years in Washington -- including a nearly $20,000 haul from ExxonMobil executives in May and June of this year [Center for Responsive Politics; FEC.gov].

Now running for Senate, however, Congressman Blunt has been trying to visit Missouri more frequently claiming he will work for families not the corporate special interests. The problem, however, is his record in Washington just doesn't support that claim. And then this morning, one of Blunt's special interest supporters spoke a little too freely about Congressman Blunt's priorities as he tweeted from a Texas fundraiser saying: "We can't vote 4 [Blunt] but [Blunt] votes 4 us." [Twitter, 8/25/10]

"Congressman Blunt has been working for out-of-state corporate special interests and lobbyists for so long that even his donors think he works for them," said Linden Zakula, Robin Carnahan's campaign spokesman. "Congressman Blunt has been busy doing the bidding of Wall Street and Big Oil, which has cost Missouri thousands of jobs, a skyrocketing deficit, and billions in bailouts."

Blunt's Record of Helping out Big Oil:

Blunt Voted to Protect Tax Benefits for Oil Companies Just 3 Days after Taking $5k from Exxon: In August 2007, Congressman Blunt voted against a bill to authorize $16.1 billion in energy-related tax provisions, offset by reducing current tax benefits for oil and gas companies. The bill extended and expanded tax breaks for renewable energy, hybrid cars and energy-efficient buildings and appliances. Three days earlier, on August 1 -- Blunt had received a $5,000 from ExxonMobil. [Congressional Quarterly; HR 2776, Vote 835, 8/4/07; FEC.gov]

Blunt Has Voted for Over $40 Billion in Giveaways and Tax Breaks for Oil & Gas Companies:

Ø 2005: $6 Billion in Oil & Gas Subsidies Including $2.6 Billion in "Royalty Relief" for Drilling in Gulf: In 2005, Roy Blunt served on the conference committee for the 2005 Energy Policy Act. The bill included $14.5 billion in energy tax breaks, which went overwhelmingly to oil & big energy companies -- including $2.6 billion in the form of "royalty relief" for oil and gas drilling in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. This provision, which allowed oil companies to drill on federal lands free of charge -- costing taxpayers billions--was even opposed by the Bush administration. According to watchdog group Public Citizen the bill included $6 billion in subsidies for oil & gas companies. [HR 6, Vote 445, 7/28/05; New York Times; Public Citizen]

Ø 2003: More Than $21 Billion for Oil & Gas Industry -- Opposed By John McCain: In 2003, Blunt supported a bill "crafted behind closed doors by Republicans" that included $21.84 billion for the oil & gas industry, $12.97 billion in spending and $8.87 billion in tax cuts, according to an analysis by Taxpayers for Commonsense and the National Taxpayers Union. Republican Senator John McCain derided the subsidies and giveaways to big oil in the bill saying, "It will certainly fuel the coffers of the big oil and gas corporations. It will propel the wealthy special interests, and it will boost the deficit into the stratosphere." [HR 6, Vote 630, 11/18/03; Knight Ridder, 11/21/03; Arizona Republic, 11/20/03]

Ø 2001: $12.8 Billion in "Government Handouts" for Oil Companies. Under an energy bill Blunt supported in 2001, the oil industry would get tax breaks worth $12.8 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times. Taxpayers for Commonsense attacked the bill which the watchdog group said: "would do nothing to solve America's energy woes and would dish our more than $38 billion in government handouts to some of the nation's most profitable energy companies." Four days later, on August 6, Blunt received a $1,000 check from ExxonMobil. [Public Interest Research Group, League of Conservation Voters; HR 4, Vote 320, 8/02/01; Los Angeles Times, 8/3/01; Taxpayers for Commonsense, 7/31/01]

Ø 1999: 1.2 Billion Dollar Special Tax Benefit For Oil Companies' Foreign Operations: Blunt voted for the final 1999 GOP Tax package, which included a provision that would give oil companies a special tax benefit for their foreign operations. According to USA Today, "One of the biggest targeted breaks in the newly approved measure is for multinational oil companies, courtesy of Ways and Means Chairman Bill Archer, R-Texas. By 2009, the companies would save $ 1.2 billion a year." According to the New York Times, the bill contained other measures beneficial to the oil industry as well, including allowing tax write-offs for wells that are "marginally productive." [Vote 333, 7/22/99; Vote 379, 8/5/99; USA Today, 8/17/99; New York Times, 7/21/99]