FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2016

Contact:
David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil [dot] org

Oil Change International response to President Obama’s “21st Century Clean Transportation System” proposal 

Today, the Obama Administration released a fact sheet describing a new initiative included in the President’s upcoming budget proposal, which will include a new fee paid by oil companies along with increased investments in new transportation options. In response, Oil Change International released the following statements:

“While we await the full details of this new effort, Oil Change International applauds the Obama administration for thinking creatively about how we can transition off of oil and fund a new transportation paradigm for the United States. Climate leadership will require more bold and out of the box solutions in the years to come. There is no doubt that the oil industry should be paying for the climate crisis it exacerbates on a daily basis, as well as for the damages it imposes on communities along the entire process of producing a barrel of oil.”

David Turnbull, Campaigns Director of Oil Change International

“Charging the oil industry more is absolutely a good idea. However, the Obama Administration has asked Congress to end key subsidies to the oil industry in every budget they have prepared. Congress – awash in fossil fuel campaign finance – has not been able to agree to end the more than $17 billion in federal subsidies that we currently provide the fossil fuel industry each year. Congress has not been willing to act. Let’s hope the eighth time is the charm.

We look forward to working with Congress and the Administration to move swiftly forward in building and funding a new vision for the country’s transportation needs, and also in making sure the oil industry pays for the damages it is causing our nation, and the world.”

-Stephen Kretzmann, Executive Director of Oil Change International

Background: Analysis by Oil Change International and the Overseas Development Institute released in November 2015 shows the United States Federal Government provides over $17 billion in annual subsidies for production of fossil fuels in the U.S., along with $3.7 billion in public support for fossil fuel production abroad. Read more here: https://priceofoil.org/content/uploads/2016/02/Empty-Promises-G20-fossil-fuel-subsidies-US-country-study.pdf

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