EAGAN, Minn. – As reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and elsewhere, Rep. John Kline (R-Lakeville) today joined a few of his Republican colleagues in speaking to an empty House chamber about energy, while the campaign of his Democratic opponent, Steve Sarvi, issued the following statement via spokesperson Bridget Cusick:
“John Kline has become quite the showman this election season. Several weeks ago, he toured energy centers in Minnesota’s 2nd District to demonstrate a newfound interest in alternative energy. Now he’s railing about Democrats’ failure to solve America’s energy problems after he has spent months blockading any meaningful progress on energy prices.
“John Kline has been in Congress for six years. It’s not as if our dwindling supply of oil is new news; he’s had plenty of time to do something about energy, but he has chosen instead to spend that time filling his campaign coffers with Big Oil money – more than $110,000 of it. No amount of talk to an empty House chamber will change that or convince people he’s now going to bring something different to the table. John Kline had his chance; it's now time for a change, and Steve Sarvi is the person who is going to bring that change.”
John Kline: An Unenviable Energy Record
Kline Took Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from the Energy Industry and – Unsurprisingly – Voted for Their Bills. As John Kline took huge contributions from the energy sector for his campaign war chest, he voted in lockstep with the Bush administration’s energy bills – giveaways to the energy companies. Over the course of his career, John Kline has taken more than $125,000 from energy industry PACs and more than $165,000 from the energy industry overall. He has taken more than $110,000 from the oil and gas sectors alone. (http://www.opensecrets.org)
Kline Is a Reliable Vote Against Alternative Energy Research and Development and Energy Conservation. Kline has voted repeatedly against common-sense legislation to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, address climate change, lower energy costs for consumers and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the process.
Late last year, he voted against the Energy Independence and Security Act. Its purpose was to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security by increasing the production of clean renewable fuels, increasing the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, promoting research on and deployment of greenhouse gas capture techniques, and improving the energy performance of the Federal Government. (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=speeches&bill=h110-6)
Earlier this year, Kline voted against H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, which seeks to invest Big Oil’s $18 billion in government subsidies in renewable energy research and development and tax credits for a wide range of renewable energy programs.
While Talking a Good Game on Lowering Energy Prices, Kline Has Voted Against Common-Sense Solutions. Kline voted against the Commodity Market Transparency and Accountability Act (H.R. 6604), to curb excessive speculation in the energy markets, close the Enron loophole, and strengthen enforcement to prevent market manipulation and prosecute fraud (Roll Call Vote #540, 7/30/08). Those who have decried speculators’ role in inflating fuel prices include airline executives such as Northwest's Doug Steenland.
Given a Chance to Save Taxpayers Money on School Energy Costs, John Kline Voted No. Kline voted against H.R.3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act. The bill – which passed – encourages public schools to run more efficiently by updating school buildings to be more energy-efficient, providing great potential for real long-term cost savings. (http://thatsmycongress.com/index.php/2008/06/05/republicans-vote-against...)
Steve Sarvi: A Change in Course on Energy
Steve Sarvi supports responsible drilling on the 68 million acres of land oil companies already have under lease and investing Big Oil subsidies in renewable energy. For a complete look at Sarvi’s positions on energy and fuel prices, visit www.stevesarvi.org/issues/energy-and-the-environment.
About Steve Sarvi
Sarvi, the DFL-endorsed candidate for Congress in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, is a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army and National Guard who served in both Kosovo and Iraq. He’s a former three-term mayor of Watertown, Minn., who managed local governments for more than 13 years. For more about Sarvi and his vision for changing our country’s course, visit www.stevesarvi.org.