Rep. Virgil Goode again showed blatant hypocrisy as he voted against a comprehensive energy bill that allowed for increased drilling and provided incentives for alternatives. The Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 6899) passed the House but Rep. Goode voted against it.
During the August recess, Congressional Republicans screamed for Congressional action to increase drilling opportunities. Goode has championed the drilling cause and promised his constituents that he would work to support alternative energies and increase oil production.
In his own newsletter, Goode News, Rep. Goode wrote,
Last week, I returned to Washington to join my Republican colleagues in our on-going effort to impress upon the leadership of the House of Representatives that the American public deserves an up-or-down vote on allowing drilling for oil and natural gas on American soil and on the Outer Continental Shelf, so that we may produce more of our own energy needs and break our dependence on foreign oil.
When faced with a bill that would invest in alternatives without raising taxes, and increase drilling offshore, Rep. Goode played party politics instead of keeping his promise. This vote, in line with his voting history, show that Virgil Goode is not committed to getting things done in Congress. Goode will say that he supports policies on the stump, but will do nothing in college.
Tom Perriello released this statement about Rep. Goode's latest unwillingness to do anything to solve our energy crisis.
"When it comes to energy independence, Rep. Goode's record is running on empty. He is demonstrating tremendous hypocrisy: talking about his support for increased drilling and alternatives then voting against them. Apparently, he'd rather protect oil company profits than increase drilling and make America energy independent," said Tom Perriello, Democratic candidate for the fifth congressional district seat. "Time and time again, he has consistently stood with Big Oil while working families get crushed at the pump, and he has misled voters on his record. The facts are: he gets richer as gas prices go up and his campaign gets richer as gas prices go up. It's no wonder he's voting with the oil companies while middle class families pay the price."
Virgil Goode's Record of "Running on Empty": Voting Against Energy Independence, For Big Oil
April 20, 2005: Rep. Goode voted against an amendment to the 2005 energy bill that sought to increase average fuel economy of automobiles from 25-miles-per-gallon to 33-miles-per-gallon. [HR 6, Vote # 121, 4/20/05]
July 28, 2005: Rep. Goode voted for the energy conference report that exempted oil and gas industries from some clean-water laws, streamlined permits for oil wells and power lines on public lands, and helped the hydropower industry appeal environmental restrictions. It also included an estimated $85 billion worth of subsidies and tax breaks for most forms of energy - including oil and gas and "clean coal." [HR 6, Vote #445, 7/28/05]
January 18, 2007: Rep. Goode voted against shifting certain revenue from royalties and tax incentives from oil and gas companies into a reserve fund for alternative and renewable energies. [HR 6, Vote #40, 1/18/07]
December 6, 2007: Rep. Goode voted against comprehensive energy legislation that would raise automobile fuel-efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years. It also would eliminate or reduce $13 billion in subsidies and tax breaks for the five major oil and gas companies to be used for tax incentives for development of renewable energy sources like ethanol from grasses and wood chips and biodiesel and for energy efficiency programs and conservation. [HR 6, Vote #1140, 12/06/07]
February 27, 2008: Representative Virgil Goode opposed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act (H.R. 5351), which will end unnecessary taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil companies and use that money to make investments in clean, renewable energy and promote energy conservation [H.R. 5351, #84, 2/27/08]
May 21, 2008: Representative Virgil Goode opposed the Energy and Tax Extenders Act of 2008, which will provide tax relief for millions of American families and extend research and development credits to help reduce America's dependence on foreign oil [H R 6049, # 344].
September 16, 2008: Rep. Goode votes against the Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act which will:
*Allow drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf and increase domestic oil production in Alaska
*Extend and expand tax incentives for renewable energy, and retain and create hundreds of thousands of American "green collar" jobs
*Repeal tax subsidies for the Big Five oil companies
*Require utility companies to generate 15 percent of electricity from renewable sources -- such as wind power, biomass, wave, tidal, geothermal and solar -- by 2020
*Provide incentives to lenders and financial institutions to give lower-interest loans to consumers who build, buy or remodel their homes to improve their energy efficiency