FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2011
Contact: Scot Rutledge, (702) 561-9093
As Nevada’s Newest Senator, Will Heller Continue to Support Billions in Government Handouts to Big Oil?
NEVADA – This week Dean Heller joined the U.S. Senate as an interim Senator for Senator Ensign’s recently vacated seat. While representing Nevada’s 2nd district in the U.S. House, Heller has voted repeatedly to protect billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to oil companies, including voting just last week to block a vote on legislation to repeal those government handouts to the richest oil companies. That was the second time in two months Heller voted to maintain taxpayer handouts to oil companies [House Vote #153, 3/1/11; House Vote #277, 4/15/11].

With legislation being introduced today in the U.S. Senate to repeal these unnecessary subsidies, Executive Director of the Nevada Conservation League Scot Rutledge released the following statement asking if now-Senator Heller would continue to support maintaining tax breaks for the richest oil companies while Nevada families suffer at the pump:

“Even though Nevada families are struggling to pay over four dollars a gallon for their gas, then-Representative Heller voted at every opportunity to protect billions in taxpayer handouts to the richest oil companies while representing Nevada’s second district. Now that Senator Heller represents the entire state of Nevada, will he support efforts to eliminate these unnecessary subsidies? Or will he continue to allow oil companies to profit off Nevada consumers twice: once at the pump and again from their federal taxes.”

A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that 74 percent of voters support eliminating tax breaks to oil companies. [NBC/WSJ Poll, February 2011]

The Nevada Conservation League, in conjunction with the League of Conservation Voters, is urging everyone to take action to end subsidies to big oil by contacting Congress.  Visit rebuildnevada.org/blog for more information and to take action today.
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