Posted: April 27, 2011 at 8:47 pm

Will Rehberg Continue to Support Billions in Government Handouts to Big Oil While Montana Families Suffer at the Pump?

Rehberg isn't known for his views on women's equality.With gas prices rising and oil companies expected to report massive first quarter profits this week, incumbent Congressman Dennis Rehberg is finding himself in a tough spot defending his votes to maintain billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to oil companies [House Vote #153, 3/1/11]. Feeling the heat, even Speaker Boehner suggested Big Oil companies didn’t need these government handouts, stating oil companies are:

“gonna pay their fair share in taxes and they should,” Boehner told ABC News Monday night, adding that, “frankly, they’ve got some part of this to blame.”

Here’s video of Boehner saying it again:


Shocker: Rehberg has not been as clear.  And people are starting to pay attention.

When asked directly by a constituent in Columbus if he would consider ending subsidies for oil companies, Rehberg said only that “everything is on the table,” including “subsidies for the oil companies.”  Does this mean he’s willing to reconsider his recent support of over $40 billion in handouts to Big Oil?

Although the House leadership admits that the richest oil companies in the nation don’t need billions in government subsidies, they have voted to continue these obscene handouts as recently as earlier this year.

Rep. Rehberg received $5,000 from Exxon in the first quarter of 2011. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that 74 percent of voters support eliminating tax breaks to oil companies. [NBC/WSJ Poll, February 2011]

15 comments

  4. ladybug

    Commodity subsidies are a bipartisan problem. Who chairs the senate finance committee where tax loopholes are exchanged for campaign contributions? It’s not important which party, or which candidate, says the things we want to hear. They’re all lying all of the time. It’s if, and when, people decide to take action, organize in a decentralized network, and demand an end to corruption. We must do this or it will not happen.

  8. Publius II

    Denny’s cronie friends really ‘Pump Humping’ us all but good, especially with the fact that Exxon Mobile the most PROFITABLE enterprise in the history on Mankind??!!!

  9. fatso

    And what has Obama, the most powerful man in the world, done about oil prices?

    I know the President is tackling the big issues…wait, what? He’s on Oprah…and he’s already campaigning. Never mind.

    • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

      Um, Fathead, how would you have him control prices when the speculators are hosing us? Nationalize them? I’m for that. Is that what you’re suggesting too?

  10. Bill Dial

    Hey fatso (a.k.a. close minded nutjob), I’m curious if you could enlighten us with what George W. Bush did when oil prices hit their all time high during his presidency? Classic case of whining about the President not taking control, while simultaneously complaining that government is too big. Let me guess, you are a veteran with diabetes that gets government disability?

    • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

      No, it’s no simple, Fathead. YOU’RE simple! Please explain just who’s going to drill and where, and how much they’re going to extract, and who’s stopping them! I thought Chimpy Bush was gonna steal LOTS of oil for us with the THREE TRILLION we gave him for two senseless wars. How’d that work out for ya? Fathead, can you even IMAGINE what we could’ve done with three trillion dollars in R&D and conservation? We’re talkin’ some real money here.

      But nooooo! It all went to the Dick, cheney’s buddies and the defense industry. Not the best use of OUR resources I’d say.

  12. Pingback: Exxon PAC Gives Rehberg $10,000 in 2011 « Montana Cowgirl Blog