MN-02 Congressman Once Again Tries to Distract from His “Well-Oiled” Record
EAGAN, Minn. – John Kline (R-Lakeville) returned to Washington Tuesday for another round of political theater.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Kline said his “protest” of the House recess is “historic” because he ordinarily “wouldn't be allowed to address the public” (http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/congress/26893894.html?elr=...).
“John Kline is in Washington serving Big Oil, and he has 118,000 reasons to be there: $118,000 in contributions,” said Steve Sarvi, Kline’s DFL opponent. “Instead of serving his district, John Kline has served George W. Bush and the corporate interests that fund his campaigns. The only things ‘historic’ about his recent trips to Washington are the lengths he’s gone to to convince voters he’s working for them. In reality, he’s working hard to distract from a record no politician trying to get re-elected this year would want.”
John Kline: A Well-Oiled 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 $118,000 from the oil and gas sectors alone. (http://www.opensecrets.org, DCCC press release 8/1/08)
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 U.S. 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 Energy Prices, Kline Has Voted Against Common-Sense Solutions. Kline voted against the Commodity Market Transparency and Accountability Act (H.R. 6604). This legislation seeks 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.
Kline also voted against “Use it or Lose it,” legislation that would force oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres of land they lease from the American people or lose their leases (HR 6251, #469) and the DRILL Bill, which would promote the responsible domestic production of oil and natural gas in 20 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. (HR6515, #511)
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 running for Congress because he believes our nation needs to change course and that the people of Minnesota’s 2nd District deserve a representative who will serve the people – not the president, not their party, not big corporate interests. Sarvi 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.
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