Elected to Congress in 1996, Congressman Roy Blunt has consistently supported policies benefiting the oil industry through his career. He has voted against increasing liability caps for oil spills and supported bills easing offshore drilling restrictions. Blunt has also opposed eliminating tax subsidies for oil companies. Big oil companies like BP and ExxonMobil have been among his top campaign contributors, with Blunt receiving over $1 million from oil and energy interests during his time in Congress.

1. Congress in 1996,
Elected To Congress in 1996,
Congressman Blunt
Has Been Looking Out For
Big Oil

2. Here are some examples.

3. 2010: Blunt Protects Limits on Big Oil
Liability Costs
• “There’re going to be liability issues out there that you need to be thoughtful about.
The current liability cap, unless there’s some criminal activity that no one’s aware of, is
going to be the current cap so no matter what you do about that current cap, it’s
there.” [Congressman Blunt at RCGA, 5/18/10]
• “On the spill, Blunt cautioned against overreacting — increasing penalties for
companies that spill oil, he said, will decrease competition and ensure only large
companies access to deep-sea reserves.” [St. Louis Post Dispatch, 5/18/10]
• “Despite several requests for comment, Rep. Roy Blunt hasn't taken a position on the
bill [to increase BP’s liability caps] that we can find…The Blunt campaign’s reluctance
is puzzling, since almost exactly a year ago Blunt criticized Carnahan for not taking
positions on issues.” [Kansas City Star, 5/18/10]
• Blunt flips and sponsors a bill in late May. But the “measure would tie oil companies'
liability to profits—meaning that BP would possibly be forced to pay billions—but
critics charge that such a cap would still protect BP and shield less-profitable firms,
leaving taxpayers to pay the bulk of the costs.” [Wall Street Journal, 6/2/10]

4. 2008: Blunt Co-Sponsored Legislation
Easing Restrictions On Energy Exploration
In The Gulf.
• “But Blunt, who is running for the Senate, is not backing
away from his support for more drilling in the gulf and
Atlantic Ocean. He has co-sponsored a bill easing restrictions
on energy exploration there.” [H.R.6108; Kansas City Star,
05/07/10]

5. 2007: Voted to Protect Tax Benefits for Oil
Companies – 3 Days after Taking $5k from Exxon.
• In August 2007, Blunt voted against a bill to authorize $16.1 billion in energy-
related tax provisions, offset by reducing current tax benefits for oil and gas
companies. The bill extended and expanded tax breaks for renewable energy,
hybrid cars and energy-efficient buildings and appliances. Three days earlier,
on August 1 – Blunt had received a $5,000 from ExxonMobil. [Congressional
Quarterly; HR 2776, Vote 835, 8/4/07; FEC.gov]
• In 2007, Congressman Blunt voted against shifting certain revenue from
royalties and tax incentives from oil and gas companies into a reserve fund for
alternative and renewable energies. The bill would require current offshore
fuel producers who are not paying federal royalties to agree to pay royalties
when fuel prices reach certain thresholds or pay fees based on how much fuel
they produce. The bill passed 264-163. [New York Times, 1/19/07; Speaker
Pelosi Press Release, 1/18/07; CQ Floor Votes, 1/18/07; HR 6, Vote 40,
1/18/07]

6. 2006: Blunt Protected Tax Breaks for Big Oil
Companies from Tax Bill.
• In 2006, Congressman Blunt voted against a motion to instruct conferees
negotiating H.R. 4297, the Tax Reconciliation Bill. The motion would instruct
House conferees to 1) accept three bipartisan provisions from the Senate that
would remove subsidies and close loopholes for large integrated oil
companies, so that big oil companies would pay their fair share of taxes, and
2) strike the extension of the capital gains and dividend tax cuts. The total for
these two proposals was $51 billion. In 2005, the top five oil companies
reaped more than $100 million, three times their profits in 2002. The motion
failed 190-232. [McDermott Talking Points, “Republicans Fight for Big Oil
Subsidies and Loopholes”; HR4297, Vote 109, 4/27/06]

7. 2005: Blunt Supported $2.6 Billion in “Royalty
Relief ” for Companies Drilling in Gulf.
• 2005: Blunt Helped Steer New Benefit for Ultra Deepwater Drilling
Companies like BP: In 2005, Congressman Blunt served on the conference
committee for the 2005 Energy Policy Act. The bill included $14.5 billion in
energy tax breaks, which went overwhelmingly to oil & big energy companies
– including $2.6 billion in the form of “royalty relief ” for oil and gas drilling
in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. This provision, which allowed oil
companies to drill on federal lands free of charge – costing taxpayers billions
-- was even opposed by the Bush administration. According to the New
York Times, the “push to lock in the royalty inducements came primarily from
House Republicans.” [New York Times, 3/27/06; HR 6, Vote 445, 7/28/05]

8. 2003: Blunt Supported
$21 Billion for Oil & Gas Industry
– Opposed By John McCain.
• In 2003, Blunt supported a bill “crafted behind closed doors by Republicans”
that included $21.84 billion for the oil & gas industry -- $12.97 billion in
spending and $8.87 billion in tax cuts. Senator John McCain derided the
subsidies and giveaways to big oil in the bill saying, “It will certainly fuel the
coffers of the big oil and gas corporations. It will propel the wealthy special
interests, and it will boost the deficit into the stratosphere.” [HR 6, Vote 630,
11/18/03; Knight Ridder, 11/20/03; Arizona Republic, 11/20/03]

9. 2001: Blunt Supported $12.8 Billion in
“Government Handouts” for Oil Companies.
Under an energy bill Blunt supported in 2001, the oil industry would get tax
breaks worth $12.8 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times. Taxpayers for
Common Sense attacked the bill which the watchdog group said: “would do
nothing to solve America’s energy woes and would dish out more than $38
billion in government handouts to some of the nation’s most profitable
energy companies.” Four days later, on August 6, Blunt received a $1,000
check from ExxonMobil. [Public Interest Research Group, League of
Conservation Voters; HR 4, Vote 320, 8/02/01; Los Angeles Times, 8/3/01;
Taxpayers for Common Sense, 7/31/01]

10. 1999: Blunt Supported $1.2 Billion Dollar
Special Tax Benefit For Oil Companies’
Foreign Operations.
• Blunt voted for the final 1999 GOP Tax package, which included a
provision that would give oil companies a special tax benefit for their
foreign operations. According to USA Today, “One of the biggest
targeted breaks in the newly approved measure is for multinational oil
companies, courtesy of Ways and Means Chairman Bill Archer, R-
Texas. By 2009, the companies would save $ 1.2 billion a year.”
According to the New York Times, the bill contained other measures
beneficial to the oil industry as well, including allowing tax write-offs
for wells that are “marginally productive.”[Vote 333, 7/22/99; Vote
379, 8/5/99; USA Today, 8/17/99; New York Times, 7/21/99]

11. Big Oil and Congressman Blunt
have a mutually beneficial
relationship.
Here are some more facts:

12. Blunt Among Top Ten House
Recipients Of BP Money.
Congressman Blunt is one of the all-time top
10 recipients of money from BP in the House
of Representatives, according to the Center for
Responsive Politics. [Opensecrets.org, 4/30/10;
FEC.gov]

13. Blunt has Taken More Than
$1 Million from Big Oil &
Energy Interests.
Congressman Blunt has taken $1.2 million
from energy industry interests over the
course of his career -- over three-quarters
of a million dollars specifically from oil and
gas interests. [OpenSecrets.org, 5/21/10]

14. This Cycle, Blunt Is #2
Recipient of Oil & Gas Money
in House.
Congressman Blunt has taken more oil &
gas money this cycle than all but one other
member of the House of Representatives.
[OpenSecrets.org]

15. Fancy Fundraisers with Big Oil.
In September of 2009, the political action committees of
ExxonMobil, Marathon Oil, and Devon Energy threw
back-to-back fundraisers for Blunt in Washington, DC.
[Sunlight Foundation]

16. Congressman Blunt has looked
out for Big Oil again and again.
No Bailouts For Big Oil.
It’s that simple.
www.RobinCarnahan.com/NoBigOilBailout