GOP Senator: Oil Companies Doing Just Fine on Their Own
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Matthew Cain, 202-222-0751, [email protected]; Kelly Trout, 202-222-0722, [email protected]
Sen. Mark Kirk endorses nixing Big Oil giveaways as House Republicans vote unanimously to protect them
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) yesterday endorsed slashing subsidies to oil companies during an interview with C-SPAN, noting they are “doing just fine on their own” and calling many corporate welfare programs “misplaced.”
Senator Kirk’s message of support for cutting Big Oil giveaways contrasted sharply with the message sent yesterday by House Republicans, who voted unanimously to protect Big Oil subsidies even as they continued to push extreme cuts to job-creating programs, child nutrition, environmental protections, and education.
Michelle Chan, Economic Policy Director at Friends of the Earth, applauded Senator Kirk’s leadership:
“Senator Kirk got it right and showed bipartisan leadership: Big Oil is doing just fine; it doesn’t need tens of billions in taxpayer giveaways. Ending giveaways to Big Oil is a win for taxpayers, and it’s a win for the environment. It’s the sort of common-sense approach members of both parties should embrace.
“We hope other Republicans will follow Senator Kirk’s lead and support ending these giveaways. This is a real opportunity for bipartisanship. There’s absolutely no excuse for cutting investments in jobs, children, and the environment while our tax dollars continue to pad the profits of these mature polluting corporations.”
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Friends of the Earth and our network of grassroots groups in 76 countries fight to create a more healthy, just world. Our current campaigns focus on clean energy and solutions to climate change, keeping toxic and risky technologies out of the food we eat and products we use, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.