Sierra Club Blasts Pombo for Oil Payments

May 22 , 2006


House to Vote on Pombo Drilling Bill Later This Week

A new report from the Stockton Record found that Congressman Richard Pombo received more than $212,000 from oil and energy companies in the 2006 election cycle. The payments came during a period when oil companies have been widely accused of gouging consumers and manipulating energy markets.

The Stockton Record report can be found online at: http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060522/NEWS01/605220329/1001

“Richard Pombo can’t serve both Exxon Mobil and the American public at the same time,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. “History shows that when the oil industry sets the agenda, American consumers and taxpayers lose big.”

This week, Pombo continues to work on behalf of oil companies as chief sponsor of a bill that would allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The House is expected to vote on the bill late this week. Pombo has also announced his plans to introduce legislation to make it easier for oil and gas companies to drill near protected coastlines. The Sierra Club is urging Pombo to withdraw both drilling proposals and instead work together promote new technologies that help to reduce America’s dependence on oil.

“If we used the latest technologies to make our cars, trucks, and SUV’s go 40 miles per gallon, America would save as much oil as it currently imports from the Persian Gulf and could ever expect to see from the Arctic Refuge combined,” added Pope.

Pombo is among the top recipients of campaign funding from the oil industry in Congress. The latest figures from the Stockton Record reflect contributions both to Congressman Pombo’s re-election campaign and to his political action committee, RichPAC. During the time since 2004 that he received the funding, Pombo has worked hard to advance an agenda that heavily benefits the oil and gas industry, not only promoting drilling in sensitive areas, but also handing out billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to oil and gas companies and allowing those companies to avoid paying royalties worth tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. Treasury.

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Eric Antebi

Sierra Club

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