Steve Pearce: Big Oil

Full Report

Who can break the grip of Big Oil?

America’s addiction to oil causes a host of environmental problems—from oil spills to air pollution to global warming—while harming our economy and jeopardizing our national security. New Mexicans deserve a senator who will fight for us to reduce our dependence on oil and protect our environment.

Unfortunately, during his time in Congress, Rep. Steve Pearce has consistently sided with Big Oil, and against the interests of New Mexicans on issue after issue: from automobile fuel economy to tax breaks for oil companies.

To break the grip of Big Oil, New Mexico residents have a clear choice this November. As a U.S. Senator, Rep. Tom Udall will continue to fight for New Mexico and against Big Oil to bring America to a cleaner, more secure energy future.

America’s dependence on oil

America’s dependence on oil hurts our environment and our economy. For example:

• America now imports 58 percent of our oil from abroad—up from 27 percent in 1985—threatening our economy and our national security.[1]

• America spends twice as much each year on gasoline as we did five years ago. That’s an additional $200 billion per year sucked out of American’s pocketbooks, with much of it sent to unfriendly nations overseas.[2]

• America’s use of oil produces more carbon dioxide—the leading global warming pollutant—than the entire economy of any other nation in the world besides China.[3]

• Oil consumption contributes to a host of environmental and public health problems from unhealthy air that affects 125 million Americans[4] to the oil spills that have wreaked havoc on ecosystems all across the country.

Big Oil is standing in the way of a new energy future

There are solutions to America’s dependence on oil. We have the technology to use oil more efficiently, switch to clean alternative fuels, and provide more Americans with a wider range of transportation options. For example:

• The technology exists to make our cars and trucks go much farther on a gallon of gasoline. Automakers could achieve a fleet average of 40 miles per gallon within 10 years with existing technology.[5]

• New technologies such as plug-in hybrids—which use a combination of gasoline and electricity—could allow cars to get more than 100 miles per gallon, saving more than $1,500 at the pump, while reducing pollution.[6] Several automakers are now racing to produce plug-in hybrids within the next two years.[7]

• Cities across the country are pushing to expand their public transportation systems to accommodate a surge in demand for transportation alternatives. Transit ridership hit a 50-year high in 2007.[8] Interest is also growing in building new high-speed rail links between American cities to provide an alternative to the hassles of flying and driving. High-speed trains can reach up to 200 miles per hour while using far less oil.

Reducing America’s dependence on oil just makes common sense. But Big Oil and its lobbyists in Washington, D.C., have fought smart energy policies every step of the way, while working to protect their own lucrative taxpayer subsidies and immense profits. They’ve even used the crisis of rising oil prices to attain their long-term goal of getting new authority to drill for oil off of some of America’s most treasured coastlines.

The 2008 election and the America’s oil future

The next U.S. Senator from New Mexico will be a key vote on a host of important energy issues that will face the next Congress. Big Oil and other powerful industries will use their clout to push policies that pad their profits while keeping America addicted to fossil fuels. If America is to move toward a new energy future, we must elect leaders who are capable of standing up to Big Oil and putting Americans first.

The choice for New Mexicans is clear. Rep. Pearce has been a reliable vote for Big Oil. On the other hand, Tom Udall has been and will continue to be a committed leader fighting on behalf of New Mexicans to break the grip of Big Oil and bring America toward a new energy future.

Rep. Pearce: The representative from Big Oil

Rep. Pearce has consistently voted against the American people and for Big Oil. As a member of Congress since 2003, Pearce has:

• Voted to ensure that Big Oil continues to bring in record profits with the help of government dollars—opposing[9] an effort to shift $18 billion in subsidies from the largest oil and gas companies toward renewable energy and energy efficiency. Those subsidies amount to $170 for each family in New Mexico at a time when those same families are paying $1,480 more for gasoline each year compared to 2001.[10]

• Voted against policies to reduce tax breaks to the oil industry, increase energy efficiency, and create the first national renewable electricity standard, thereby padding the profits of the big oil companies.[11] In 2007, the top five oil companies earned nearly twice as much in profits as all families in New Mexico earned last year.[12]

• Voted against common-sense legislation that would curb the excessive speculation in the energy market that is contributing to inflation of oil prices.[13]

• Voted to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling and energy exploration despite the risk of environmental harm.[14]

• Took $46,650 in campaign contributions from the oil industry in the 2007-2008 Congress.[15]

Rep. Udall will take on Big Oil and fight for a new energy future

By electing Tom Udall, New Mexicans can ensure that they have a champion fighting for their interests—and not those of Big Oil—in the critical energy battles that face the next Congress. As a member of Congress since 1999, Rep. Udall has:

• Voted to shift $18 billion in subsidies from the largest oil and gas companies toward renewable energy and energy efficiency.[16]

• Voted to reduce tax breaks to the oil industry, increase energy efficiency, and create the first national renewable electricity standard, putting us on track to a clean energy economy.[17]

• Voted to curb excessive speculation in the energy market.[18]

Rep. Udall will address America’s energy concerns by working to shift to alternative energy, eliminate subsidies for Big Oil, fight price gouging at the pump, and stop greedy speculators from driving up the price of oil. As a senator, he will help put this country on the course to a clean energy future.

About Environment New Mexico

We all want clean air, clean water and open space. But it takes independent research and tough-minded advocacy to win concrete results for our environment, especially when powerful interests stand in the way of environmental progress. That's the idea behind Environment New Mexico. We focus exclusively on protecting New Mexico’s air, water and open space. We speak out and take action at the local, state and national levels to improve the quality of our environment and our lives.

Sources

1 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2007, 23 June 2008.

2 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2007, 23 June 2008.

3 Emissions from oil from U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006, 28 November 2007; International emissions from U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, International Energy Annual 2005, 1 October 2007.

4 American Lung Association, State of the Air 2008, 2008.

5 Union of Concerned Scientists, Common Sense on Climate Change Solutions #1: Make Better Cars and SUVs, downloaded from www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/global_warming_101/common-sense-solution-1.html, 19 September 2008.

6 Environment America, Reduce Our Oil Dependence: Support S. 3335 and Credits for Plug-In Electric Vehicles, undated.

7 Both General Motors and Toyota have pledged to produce plug-in hybrid vehicles around 2010. See Micheline Maynard, “Toyota Will Offer a Plug-In Hybrid by 2010,” New York Times, 14 January 2008.

8 American Public Transportation Association, 10.3 Billion Trips Taken on Public Transportation Ridership in 2007——The Highest Level in 50 Years; Ridership Increased as Gas Prices Remained High, press release, 10 March 2008.

9 Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, HR 6. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll040.xml. 18 January, 2007.

10 $170 per household subsidy to Big Oil based on $18 billion in tax breaks that would have been eliminated from top five oil companies in H.R. 6 divided by number of households in the United States based on U.S. Census Bureau, State and County Quickfacts: USA, downloaded from quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html, 19 September 2008. $1,480 additional spent on gasoline each year based on U.S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee, Gas Prices: Fast Facts, downloaded from www.jec.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=6b00d96f-7e9c-9af9-74bf-939f486de1d0#relatedDocs, 19 September 2008.

11 Motion to recommit Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act,http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll598.xml. 16 September 2008.

12 Oil industry profits compared with household earnings.

Profits from the top five oil companies in 2007 was based on Robert Pirog, Congressional Research Service, Oil Industry Profit Review 2007, 4 April 2008. Equivalent earnings from state residents based on per capita personal income from U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts: State Annual Personal Income, downloaded from www.bea.gov/bea/regional/spi/default.cfm?satable=SA30, 19 September 2008.

13 Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll608.xml. 18 September 2008.

14 American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act.  http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll209.xml. 25 May, 2006.

15 Contributions from oil industry based on Oil Change International, Follow the Oil Money database, data downloaded from oilmoney.priceofoil.org/index.php, 19 September 2008.

16 Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, HR 6. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll040.xml. 18 January, 2007.

17 Motion to recommit Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act,http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll598.xml. 16 September 2008.

18 Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll608.xml. 18 September 2008.