10.12.22

Democrats Angriest At Saudis Have Voted Over And Over To Choke U.S. Oil Production

Senate Democrats Who Are Now Raging The Loudest At OPEC Cuts To Oil Production Have Voted Repeatedly Over The Last Two Years To Make Energy More Expensive For Americans

 

Senate Democrats Are Venting Their Rage At OPEC And Saudi Arabia For Cutting Oil Production

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): “This simple yet urgent measure would halt U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia … Saudis must reverse their oil supply cuts, which aid & abet Russia’s savage criminal invasion, endanger the world economy & threaten higher gas prices at U.S. pumps.” (Sen. Blumenthal, @SenBlumenthal, Twitter, 10/11/2022)

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “What Saudi Arabia did to help Putin continue to wage his despicable, vicious war against Ukraine will long be remembered by Americans. We are looking at all the legislative tools to best deal with this appalling and deeply cynical action, including the NOPEC bill.” (Sen. Schumer, @SenSchumer, Twitter, 10/06/2022)

SENATE MAJORITY WHIP DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Saudi Arabia’s collusion w/ Putin to fix prices will increase gas prices for Americans at a time when inflation is high. The Senate must take action against price fixing by OPEC & pass this legislation.” (Sen. Durbin, @SenatorDurbin, Twitter, 10/11/2022)

SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D-NJ), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman: “Saudi Arabia cannot, with impunity, give the global markets energy insecurity, create a greater economic challenge at a time of global economic concerns, and fuel Putin's war machine.” (NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, @mitchellreports, Twitter, 10/12/2022)

CNN’s JAKE TAPPER: “Let's turn to a major decision by OPEC this week to reduce oil production.  You're calling for President Biden to make a wholesale reevaluation of the U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia. What do you want to see President Biden do? Should he stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia?”
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): “Listen, we sell massive amounts of arms to the Saudis. I think we need to rethink those sales. I think we need to lift the exemption that we have given this OPEC Plus cartel from U.S. price-fixing liability. I think we need to look at our troop presence in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia.” (CNN’s “State of the Union,” 10/09/2022)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT): “OPEC's decision to cutback on production is a blatant attempt to increase gas prices at the pump that cannot stand. We must end OPEC's illegal price-fixing cartel, eliminate military assistance to Saudi Arabia, and move aggressively to renewable energy.” (Sen. Sanders, @SenSanders, Twitter, 10/05/2022)

 

But These Same Democrats, And Nearly All Of Their Fellow Party Members, Have Voted To Strangle American Oil And Gas Production At Every Single Opportunity Over The Last Two Years

43 Senate Democrats voted against Sen. Mike Braun’s (R-IN) amendment to prohibit the EPA from banning fracking in the United States. (S.Amdt. 833 to S.Con.Res. 5, Roll Call Vote #28: Agreed to 57-43, D 7-41, R 50-0, I 0-2, 2/04/2021)

48 Senate Democrats voted against Sen. Steve Daines’ (R-MT) amendment to restore the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, which President Biden revoked as one of his first actions in office. (S.Amdt. 678, S.Con.Res. 5, Roll Call Vote #32: Adopted 52-48: D 2-46; R 50-0; I 0-2, 2/04/2021)

All 50 Senate Democrats voted against Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ (R-WY) amendment, which would have reversed the Biden administration’s moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on public lands. (S.Amdt.3104, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #320: Rejected 49-50: D 0-48; R 49-0; I 0-2; 8/10/2021)

44 Senate Democrats voted against Sen. John Barrasso’s (R-WY) motion to instruct that the USICA bill require the immediate development of an oil and gas leasing program through 2027 on the Outer Continental Shelf. (H.R. 4521, Roll Call Vote #148: 53-44, D 4-42, R 49-0, I 0-2, 5/04/2022)

All 50 Senate Democrats voted against Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-LA) amendment to force the Biden Administration to hold offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. (S. Amdt. 5387, H.R. 5376, Roll Call Vote #303: Amendment Rejected 50-50: D 0-48; R 50-0; I 0-2, 8/07/2022)

All 50 Senate Democrats voted against Sen. John Barrasso’s (R-WY) amendment to force the Biden Administration to hold onshore lease sales as required by law. (S. Amdt. 5409, H.R. 5376, Roll Call Vote #291: Amendment Rejected 50-50: D 0-48; R 50-0; I 0-2, 8/07/2022)

All 50 Senate Democrats voted against Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) amendment to eliminate the tax imposed on oil and petroleum products in Democrats’ reckless taxing and spending bill. (S. Amdt. 5301, H.R. 5376, Roll Call Vote #289: Amendment Rejected 50-50: D 0-48; R 50-0; I 0-2, 8/07/2022)

 

And Just Two Months Ago, All 50 Senate Democrats Voted To Impose New Taxes On American Energy Producers, Making It More Difficult And Costly To Produce Oil And Gas Domestically

Democrats’ Reckless Taxing And Spending Spree Included Tax Hikes On Oil

“The legislation … would reinstate and increase a long-lapsed tax on crude and imported petroleum products to 16.4 cents per barrel, according to a summary of the plan released Sunday by the Senate’s tax-writing committee. The fee would be paid by US refineries receiving crude oil and importers of petroleum products, according to the Congressional Research Service… The proposed levy on imports is a revival of the Superfund tax, which helped fund the clean-up of hazardous waste sites and previously stood at 9.7 cents per barrel until it lapsed at the end of 1995. In addition to reinstating and increasing the tax, the Senate proposal would index the fee to inflation.” (“Manchin Spending Deal Includes Billions in Oil Import Taxes,” Bloomberg, 7/31/2022)

AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM: “Democrats’ reckless tax and spend spree endorsed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) includes a $12 billion tax on crude oil that will be paid by consumers in the form of higher gas and energy costs…. As if it weren’t bad enough, Democrats have pegged their tax increase to inflation. As inflation increases, so will the level of tax…. This tax hike is a clear violation of President Biden’s pledge not to raise any form of tax on anyone making less than $400,000 per year.” (“Manchin-Schumer Bill Includes $12 Billion Crude Oil Tax,” Americans for Tax Reform Website, 8/01/2022)

Democrats Also Included A New Tax On Natural Gas

“The 725-page bill released last week would also impose other costs for the oil and gas industry. It places a new first-time fee on methane emissions rising to as much as $1,500 a ton and increases the royalty rate companies pay to the government for oil and gas produced on federal land.” (“Manchin Spending Deal Includes Billions in Taxes on Oil Sector,” Bloomberg, 7/31/2022)

AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION: “On behalf of the companies and associations that make up the natural gas supply chain and the 180 million Americans and the 5.5 million businesses that rely on natural gas, we would like to express our concerns about including a methane emissions fee or tax in budget reconciliation legislation…. New fees or taxes on energy companies will raise costs for customers, creating a burden that will fall most heavily on lower-income Americans…. [B]ased on similar proposals introduced earlier this Congress, we estimate that the fee could amount to tens of billions of dollars annually. These major new costs most likely will result in higher bills for natural gas customers, including families, small businesses, and power generators…. Any increase in low-income households’ energy costs could prove devastating.” (American Gas Association and 27 Natural gas Supply Chain Associations, Letter to Sens. Schumer and McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Rep. McCarthy, 9/07/2021)

Democrats’ Legislation Also Charges Companies More To Produce Oil And Gas In The United States

“The bill would raise the minimum royalties for federal offshore oil and gas to 16.67% from the current 12.5%, and for 10 years would include a maximum of 18.75%, after which the cap would expire. The bill would revise the Mineral Leasing Act for onshore federal royalties to raise the minimum rate to 16.67% from its current 12.5%.” (“Democrats Reach Budget Bill Deal With Raft Of Oil, Gas Provisions,” Oil & Gas Journal, 7/28/2022)

 

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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Related Issues: Senate Democrats, Energy, Democrats' Reckless Taxing And Spending Spree