Republicans approve corporate welfare for big oil

This is absolutely despicable. While cutting social programs and social spending which millions of average, working poor and impoverished Americans rely on, the Republicans in the House of Representatives unaminously voted to continue subsidies, or corporate welfare to big oil, despite John Hoffmeister, the former CEO of Shell Oil, saying that big oil doesn't need subsidies. If Republicans in the House of Representatives were truly concerned about the deficit, they would end this corporate welfare once and for all. And of course, don't be surprised if wimpy, Republican-appeaser Obama goes along with this.

Think Progress:

House Republicans voted in lockstep this afternoon to protect corporate welfare for Big Oil, even as they call for draconian cuts to programs that everyday Americans depend on each day. As the House of Representatives moved toward approving a stopgap resolution to avert a government shutdown for another two weeks, Democrats offered a motion to recommit that would have stripped the five largest oil companies of taxpayer subsidies, saving tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer funds.

The motion failed on a vote of 176-249, with all Republicans voting against (approximately a dozen Democrats joined the GOP). A similar vote two weeks ago to recoup $53 billion in taxpayer funds from Big Oil was also voted down, largely along party lines. The former CEO of Shell Oil, John Hoffmeister, recently said Big Oil doesn’t need subsidies “in face of sustained high oil prices.” From 2005 to 2009, the largest oil companies have made a combined $485 billion in profits.