FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2016
Contact:
David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil [dot] org
Oil Change International response to President Obama’s latest budget proposal
In response to President Obama’s budget proposal released today, David Turnbull, Campaigns Director of Oil Change International, released the following statement:
“In today’s budget proposal, the President continues his commonsense call to end a collection of wasteful government handouts to the fossil fuel industry, as he has done each year of his presidency. Eliminating these fossil fuel subsidies is simply the right thing to do, and we hope the eighth time will be the charm when the budget is considered by Congress.
These subsidies enable hazardous fossil fuel development in the United States, development which would fail any reasonable climate test in line with science and international agreements. The President’s budget proposal marks some important steps in eliminating these inappropriate subsidies, and shows that the burgeoning movement demanding that we stop funding fossils is being heard.
Unfortunately, the budget proposal is already being met with strong opposition in Congress. The $10 per barrel oil fee proposed in this budget has been rejected out of hand by many members of Congress. While a reasonable new fee on oil to fund much needed transportation improvements may be a bridge too far for those who take their marching orders from Big Oil, we hope Congress might finally consider eliminating wasteful government spending in the form of fossil fuel subsidies at the very least. It’s far past time we stop funding fossils.”
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