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Guest Post: Big Oil Funding U.S. Politics
Submitted by Daniel J. Graeber of OilPrice.com,
U.S. Rep. John Boehner, speaker of the House of Representatives, received nearly twice as much financial support from donors tied to the energy sector than did the next-closest recipient, a report from the National Wildlife Federation finds. The 20-page report highlights the role it says oil companies play in U.S. politics, stating energy companies are working behind the scenes on Capitol Hill to influence legislation in favour of oil, natural gas and coal policies. The NWF report finds that the current 112th U.S. Congress has voted one out of every five times against legislation drafted in favour of environmental issues.
Boehner, R-Ohio, in a press conference this week, spoke out against a stagnant unemployment climate in the United States. The U.S. Labour Department, in an early September report, showed the unemployment rate dropped slightly in August to 8.1 percent, down 0.2 percent from its July level. That's the 43rd consecutive month, however, that the unemployment rate was above 8 percent, the longest period since World War II. The House speaker said this was a sign of President Barack Obama's failure to lead.
On Friday, Boehner led the House of Representatives in passing the so-called Stop the War on Coal Act, a measure that would block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases. It's unlikely to pass through the Senate.
"We’re the Saudi Arabia of coal and the president wants to shut down coal production and the use of coal in the United States so that we can export it to our economic competitors around the world," said Boehner in a statement. It's a jobs issue, he said.
The report from the NWF, released on the eve of the House vote, finds that Oxbow Corp., a private company focused on mining and marketing of coal, natural gas and petroleum, donated more than $80,000 to Boehner's campaign since 2010. The NWF explains that Oxbow was founded by William Koch, whose twin billionaire brothers are among the largest corporate financiers of the U.S. Congress. According to information NWF gathered from The Center for Responsive Politics, energy companies like Oxbow gave more than $814,000 to Boehner's campaign during the current Congress.
The NWF's report, however, is non-partisan in its effort to showcase the energy sector's monetary influence over U.S. politics. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, ranked No. 2 on the NWF's list. Manchin, ahead of Friday's vote in the House, said it was clear that "the EPA has overstepped its bounds" in terms of action that could target the coal industry. Of the top 10 lawmakers listed in the NWF report, however, Manchin is the only Democrat and received $480,050 compared to Boehner's $814,060.
The NWF states that the House of Representatives, led by Boenher and his fellow Republicans, voted 109 times since the start of 2011 to weaken environmental laws or some of the safety regulations in the oil industry.
Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the NWF, said the report provides a "behind the curtains" look into U.S. politics.
"America has been losing ground in the climate fight, and much of this is due to gridlock within our political system," he writes. "The resulting inertia is sustained by oil, gas, and coal companies that have spent more than a billion dollars on campaign contributions, public advertising, and lobbying in the past two years alone."
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I can not believe you are that clueless! The industry as a whole is Enron, amplified trillions of times! Every industry has become more or less a government supported monopoly, with the banksters at the core of that web of deceit and destruction. The energy system became as BACKWARDS as it can possibly be, since energy directs its own transformation, and that meant that the people who were the best at being dishonest, and backing that up with violence, ACTUALLY controlled civilization, and every decision the government makes is to advance that system! EXACTLY what works best in the short-term is also what works worst in the longer term!
The funding of the political processes was the central core, lynch pin, and keystone of ALL the rest! That is where the maximum leverage exists. Look at the patterns of funding, and ALL the political problems pop up in proportion. Just go through a systematic analysis of the funding of politics, and one can easily identify ALL the political problems, in direct proportion to how insane they ARE! Study the statistics about the funding of politics, and especially follow the money to the SOURCE, and you will understand all the rest ... but still NOT be able to do anything to change that. Campaign finance "reform" is the ultimately classic Catch 22 double bind paradox, which is the thing we most need, but which is also practically impossible to ever really do. Therefore, the entire system is a runaway fascist plutocracy juggernaut, that will finally fail from too much "success" and thereby destroy itself.
In the context of Canada, where I live, I have spent several decades of my life working of this problem, including a couple court cases against the Canadian government over the laws that control the funding of the Canadian political processes. I maintain a fringe political party, simply to keep my hand in that game, in the only way I can ... For decades, I worked on this issue, and, in the context of my court cases, I was motivated to track down every possible authority on the subject that I could find. As well, during that time I discussed these issues face to face with tens of thousands of people from all walks of life. The situation in the USA is way, way worse than in Canada.
In other words, follow the money.
+1 for your work.
The National Wildlife Foundation?
Seriously, the National Wildlife Foundation??
What kind of crap is this slanted propaganda...intentionally written as "a study"
Flakmeister, I got this bridge here, in Brooklyn. It'd be perfect for you and the mrs. Close to EVERYTHING!
Or this other bridge here on Staten Island. Comes with a great view!
When you're ready, let's talk price.
but but but... I thought politics funded big oil... I'm confused.
Next thing you know they'll tell us the media is cotrolled by the Jewish interests. I'm shocked!