This regime has it's collective head so far up the oil companies ass that it can't see daylight.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay quietly slipped into the energy bill a $1.5 billion fund for oil and natural gas drilling research that will benefit an energy consortium based in his home district, a California Democrat said on Wednesday.

The measure was criticized as a "giveaway to one of the most profitable industries in America," by Rep. Henry Waxman (news, bio, voting record), who demanded that the fund be dropped from the legislation before a House vote on the energy bill on Thursday.

The House is expected to approve the wide-ranging energy bill, which includes some $14.5 billion in tax breaks and incentives mostly for oil, natural gas, coal and electricity companies.

A vote in the Senate is tentatively set for Friday.

Waxman said the $1.5 billion fund for ultra-deepwater drilling was added to the final energy bill this week after House and Senate negotiators called a halt to any more amendments. The 30-page measure appeared in the text of the energy bill after Texas Rep. Joe Barton (news, bio, voting record) had officially ended the House and Senate conference committee to combine legislation passed by each chamber, he said.

"Obviously, it would be a serious abuse to secretly slip such a costly and controversial provision into the energy legislation," Waxman said in a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

A spokesman for DeLay defended the fund, saying it was in the energy bill approved by the House in April.

"The project is only new to Mr. Waxman if he failed to read the House bill he had voted on," the spokesman said, adding he could not explain how the item was added to the final version of legislation prepared by the Senate and House negotiators.

Waxman said the fund would steer most of the money to a private consortium based in Sugar Land, DeLay's home district, by directing the Energy Department to "contract with a corporation that is constructed as a consortium."

Members of the consortium, Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America, include Halliburton Co., Marathon Oil Corp. and several universities, according to the group's web site.

The non-profit group conducts research into designing better technology to explore and produce natural gas in deep water, the web site said.

Waxman said that the measure added to the energy bill provides that members of the consortium -- including Halliburton and Marathon -- can receive money from the fund administered by the consortium.

ain't corporate welfare great?




Originally posted by Echo2
This regime has it's collective head so far up the oil companies ass that it can't see daylight.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay quietly slipped into the energy bill a $1.5 billion fund for oil and natural gas drilling research that will benefit an energy consortium based in his home district, a California Democrat said on Wednesday.

The measure was criticized as a "giveaway to one of the most profitable industries in America," by Rep. Henry Waxman (news, bio, voting record), who demanded that the fund be dropped from the legislation before a House vote on the energy bill on Thursday.

The House is expected to approve the wide-ranging energy bill, which includes some $14.5 billion in tax breaks and incentives mostly for oil, natural gas, coal and electricity companies.

A vote in the Senate is tentatively set for Friday.

Waxman said the $1.5 billion fund for ultra-deepwater drilling was added to the final energy bill this week after House and Senate negotiators called a halt to any more amendments. The 30-page measure appeared in the text of the energy bill after Texas Rep. Joe Barton (news, bio, voting record) had officially ended the House and Senate conference committee to combine legislation passed by each chamber, he said.

"Obviously, it would be a serious abuse to secretly slip such a costly and controversial provision into the energy legislation," Waxman said in a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

A spokesman for DeLay defended the fund, saying it was in the energy bill approved by the House in April.

"The project is only new to Mr. Waxman if he failed to read the House bill he had voted on," the spokesman said, adding he could not explain how the item was added to the final version of legislation prepared by the Senate and House negotiators.

Waxman said the fund would steer most of the money to a private consortium based in Sugar Land, DeLay's home district, by directing the Energy Department to "contract with a corporation that is constructed as a consortium."

Members of the consortium, Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America, include Halliburton Co., Marathon Oil Corp. and several universities, according to the group's web site.

The non-profit group conducts research into designing better technology to explore and produce natural gas in deep water, the web site said.

Waxman said that the measure added to the energy bill provides that members of the consortium -- including Halliburton and Marathon -- can receive money from the fund administered by the consortium. :@@:

Originally posted by Echo2

The measure was criticized as a "giveaway to one of the most profitable industries in America," .........

Yeah, but hey!!......there's no actual "proof" that huge Corporations get what they want in this country.

Nooooooooooo.........why, it's probably just a weird coincidence that the company that will reap the lion's share of economic benefit [to the tune of 1.5 billion dollars] is located in Delay's home district.

At least, that's the way that gullible cheerleaders for the Right ---like 00Elf-- view this sort of legislation.

U.S. Corporations benefitting monetarily from the policies enected by the political whores in Washington?!?!?!?!...........naaaaah.

Not possible.

No "proof" of it. Move along, nothing to see here. Just keep waving your little flag like a good drone.

It is interesting that the right wing contingency on this board has avoided this string. I wonder if they find this sort of thing to be embarassing for their party or maybe they think this was a great and wonderfull thing that their party did. I'm curious to know.

Originally posted by Freethinker
Yeah, but hey!!......there's no actual "proof" that huge Corporations get what they want in this country.

Nooooooooooo.........why, it's probably just a weird coincidence that the company that will reap the lion's share of economic benefit [to the tune of 1.5 billion dollars] is located in Delay's home district.

At least, that's the way that gullible cheerleaders for the Right ---like 00Elf-- view this sort of legislation.

U.S. Corporations benefitting monetarily from the policies enected by the political whores in Washington?!?!?!?!...........naaaaah.

Not possible.

No "proof" of it. Move along, nothing to see here. Just keep waving your little flag like a good drone.

Actually, I strongly oppose this energy bill, competitive businesses shouldn't need giveaways, they should be able to survive by themselves. Any industry that requires a subsidy shouldn't exist. This bill is just pork in sheeps clothing.

I don't belong to any "right" freethinker, I oppose the right on as many positions as the left, if you don't buy that I can list them for you.

Originally posted by 00Elf
I don't belong to any "right" freethinker

Yet you have denied that US Corporations are benefitting from the policies enacted by the extremely conservative, pro-corporate government of the US.

Anyone who cannot readily perceive that the Corporate sector and the political leadership in this country are working hand-in-hand ---after it having taken place for decades upon decades, if not centuries-- is willfully blind to it.

Period.

Originally posted by Freethinker
Yet you have denied that US Corporations are benefitting from the policies enacted by the extremely conservative, pro-corporate government of the US.

Anyone who cannot readily perceive that the Corporate sector and the political leadership in this country are working hand-in-hand ---after it having taken place for decades upon decades, if not centuries-- is willfully blind to it.

Period.

I said that I do not believe that coorporations have an oligarchy on America, I openly concede and agree that politicians are giving an unhealthy level of subsidies back to companies and businesses in their home states and that lobbyists are overregulating America. I agree that business has too large of a role in government, and that steps should be taken to avoid this, however this is a far cry from an oligarchy.

Originally posted by 00Elf
I openly concede and agree that politicians are giving an unhealthy level of subsidies back to companies and businesses in their home states and that lobbyists are overregulating America. I agree that business has too large of a role in government, and that steps should be taken to avoid this, however this is a far cry from an oligarchy.

I can agree with that entire statement.................. right up to the last 8 words.

I think what we in the US have is [for all intents and purposes] extremely close to an oligarchy........a government of, for and by the Corporations.

IOW, Corporatism............(aka 'fascism')

The money corporations make goes to the shareholders.

Corporations making as much money as they possibly can is part of how this country functions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The vast majority of corporations in the US are small. Any of your communist ideas applied to corporations would simply screw up the country.

Originally posted by DrewM
The money corporations make goes to the shareholders.

Corporations making as much money as they possibly can is part of how this country functions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The vast majority of corporations in the US are small. Any of your communist ideas applied to corporations would simply screw up the country.

So are you saying it was right for the government to give the oil companies 1.5 billion taxpayers dollars? My understanding of capitalism is that people and companies should make it on their own and not take welfare from the government. Are you saying you like the idea of the government giving oil companies welfare?

They are not giving them $1.5 billion of taxpayer money - they are letting them keep more of their own money.

the wide-ranging energy bill, which includes some $14.5 billion in tax breaks and incentives mostly for oil, natural gas, coal and electricity companies.

And you don't see this as a form of corporate welfare? Wouldn't it be nice if your mr bush would give the middle class and lower class peiople a $14.5 billion tax break. That would jump start the economy and get help to the people who REALLY need it.

Yes I agree any kind of tax break is good.

The economy doesn't need a jumpstart fyi - it probably needs slowing if anything.