Sununu casts deciding vote on behalf of oil and gas industry, stalling energy bill

For Immediate ReleaseContact: Bill Lofy
December 13, 2007(603)573-5067

Concord, NH - Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley, State Senator Martha Fuller Clark, and small business owner Jack Bingham today criticized Senator John E. Sununu for casting the deciding vote on a motion to kill the Senate energy bill. Sununu’s vote against a motion to end debate on the energy bill effectively killed crucial job creation and cost-saving measures for New Hampshire and forced Senate leadership to maintain billions of dollars in subsidies for the oil and gas industries.

“Because of John E. Sununu’s vote today, the oil companies are celebrating in their board rooms,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “The 5 biggest oil companies that Sununu is carrying water for posted a total of $519 billion in profits from 2001 to 2007. Thanks to Sununu, they will continue to enjoy billions of dollars in subsidies from American taxpayers. Sununu has accepted $210,000 from oil and gas companies, and with this vote, we can expect more oil money to pour into Sununu’s campaign.”

State Senator Martha Fuller Clark, chair of the Energy, Environment, and Economic Development Committee, said Sununu’s vote with the special interests was a vote against New Hampshire. “Senator Sununu just closed the door on a great opportunity for New Hampshire,” Senator Fuller Clark said. “This bill would have created jobs, saved money for working families, and helped address the crisis of global warming.”

Jack Bingham, owner of Seacoast Energy Alternatives, a small business in Dover, talked about the need to provide incentives for consumers to purchase alternative energy. “I’m mystified that Senator Sununu would vote against a bill that empowers individuals to save money. Other countries have shown that with the right incentives, consumers will choose alternative energy sources. So this was a question of priorities – he could have chosen to give his constituents a chance to control their own energy future but decided in favor of corporate oil instead.”

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