UPDATE: Oil Subsidies Bill, HR 6, Passes in the House but no Champion in the Senate!

Since the passage of HR 6, The Clean Energy Act of 2007 in mid-January as part of the House Democrats' "100 Hours" agenda, the bill has not received any sponsorship or leadership by Senate Democrats or Republicans. We need your help to convince Senators to sponsor this bill and move it forward in the Senate in its entirety. Please write a letter to your Senator urging leadership on this very important bill .

Learn more -- Washington Post: "House Repeals Tax Break for Big Oil"
Learn more -- Press Release
Take action -- Write an email urging your Senator to sponsor the Clean Energy Act of 2007

--BACKGROUND--

Despite record-breaking profits in 2005 and 2006, oil, gas and coal companies continue to benefit from billions in handouts and tax breaks courtesy of the American taxpayers. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 increased subsidies and tax breaks for the most polluting energy sectors. Tax breaks, subsidies and royalty relief provide these polluters with over 32 billion dollars from the federal government over the next five years.

Learn more - H.R. 6: The CLEAN Energy Act of 2007
Take action - Ask your representative to stop the huge handouts to the fossil fuel industry!

It's time to send a message to Congress that these handouts to polluting oil, gas and coal companies are unacceptable. With the increased strain on the nation's budget because of the war in Iraq, and the increased cost of global warming impacts, American taxpayer dollars should be directed to efforts to REDUCE our fossil fuel dependency.

Congress should be directing more tax dollars towards clean, renewable energy resources that we can utilize right here in our own backyard. The House leadership, led by Speaker of the House, NancyPelosi , is moving in the right direction. In the new Congress' first 100 hours, the House plans on voting to repeal many fossil fuel subsidies outlined in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and to also go further and repeal some loopholes in the Tax Code and beyond.

Resources

• H.R. 6: The Clean Energy Act of 2007
  
• Friends of the Earth Fact Sheet on Oil and Gas Subsidies.
  
• Wind Energy Fact Sheet on Fossil Fuel Subsidies.
  
• E & E News / Washington Post article on Speaker Pelosi and House Democrat’s Subsidy Repeal Plan.
  
• Sign on Letter from 117 businesses, environmental groups, etc., to end federal subsidies to fossil fuels and increase appropriations to clean energy programs.

Take Action

• Write a letter to your Congressperson encouraging them to support Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s subsidy repeal legislation.
  
• Read and track H.R. 6: The Clean Energy Act of 2007
  
• Find your Congressperson.