Chuck Tyler, Sanders Moore/ Albuquerque Journal/ June 12, 2010

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted down a proposal that would have increased our dependence on oil and allowed oil companies and other dirty energy polluters to operate with fewer restrictions than they have now.

The proposal, authored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski and her Big Oil allies would have increased our addiction to oil by 450 million barrels and Big Oil’s profits by $47 billion at a time when we need to reduce this dependence and transition to cleaner, safer sources of energy.

It’s ironic that as the worst oil catastrophe in history unfolds in the Gulf, spreading millions of gallons of oil that threaten families in Louisiana and Florida, the Senate would consider this handout to Big Oil. But it’s a tragedy when the interests of consumers and our national and economic security are hung in the balance for the sake of Big Oil’s agenda.

Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall did the right thing by opposing Murkowski’s Big Oil bailout and siding with New Mexican consumers, veterans, national security experts, environmentalists, health care professionals, faith leaders, business leaders and many others. We need more leaders like Bingaman and Udall to stop the handouts to polluters and hold them accountable for the harm they cause to our economy, our security and our health.

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