Tomgram: How You Subsidize the Energy Giants!

Just in case you're running for national office, here are a few basic stats to orient you when you hit Washington. In 2011, the oil and gas industries ponied up more than $148 million to lobby Congress and federal agencies of various sorts. The top four lobbying firms in the business were Conoco-Phillips with $20.5 million, Royal Dutch Shell with $14.7 million, Exxon Mobil with $12.7 million, and Chevron, with $9.5 million. Note that those figures don't include campaign contributions, although I can't imagine why corporate money flowing to candidates or their PACs isn't considered "lobbying." When it comes to such donations, the industry has given a total of $238.7 million to candidates and parties since 1990, 75% of it to Republicans. In 2011-2012, Exxon $992,573 and, I'm sure this won't shock you, Koch Industries $872,912 led the oil and gas list. Or think of this another way: the Senate recently voted down a bill sponsored by New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez to end congressional subsidies for the top oil companies. The senators who nixed the measure, led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY, $264,700), received approximately $1.48 million in oil and gas campaign contributions in 2011-2012. Those who voted for it, a mere $400,000. Not surprisingly, this fits a longer-term congressional voting pattern in which money talks. In fact, it shouts. And of course, a similar pattern can be seen in the presidential sweepstakes, with a similar Republican to Democrat ratio. In the present election campaign, Mitt Romney has already received $598,000 from oil and gas types, President Obama $131,000.