Jon Tester, U.S. Senator

Companies that pay to play profit from Burns

Sen. Conrad Burns voted for two oil-friendly bills the same day he cashed big oil checks, Jon Tester’s U.S. Senate campaign has learned.

On June 29, 2005 Burns voted first to weaken the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, then voted against an amendment requiring higher CAFE standards. That same day, Burns took $1,000 from Shell Oil Company.

Since 1989, Sen. Burns has waltzed to the bank with at least $837,267 from big oil interests. Burns has voted to give big oil companies tax breaks, voted against fuel efficiency standards, and even entertained a proposal to drill in U.S. National Parks.

“Sen. Burns and his lobbyist friends may think it is okay to pay to play, but that’s not how we do business here in Montana,” said Matt McKenna, spokesman for the Tester campaign.

Burns’ votes have not only lined the pockets of the multi-millionaire CEOs for big oil companies, it has continued to strap the middle class. In 2006, Burns voted to give $5 billion in tax breaks to big oil companies, instead of helping out average Montana families.

“Since coming to office, Sen. Burns has continually sold his vote to the highest bidder, and by turning record profits big oil companies were able to buy a lot of votes,” McKenna said. “And every one of these votes was done on the backs of Montanans that can’t afford to put gas in their pickup, much less donate the thousands of dollars to Sen. Burns that it takes to get his attention.”

Burns support for big oil:

• In cooperation with Republican negotiators, Sen. Burns voted for $5 billion in tax breaks for big oil.
• Burns voted against closing the “Enron Loophole” which would have brought price transparency in electricity markets.
• Burns voted against improving automobile efficiency standards.

“By selling his vote to the big oil companies, Sen. Burns has made the rich richer, and Montanans are paying for it at the pump,” McKenna said.

Posted on Thursday, October 26th, 2006 at 9:25 am.