Corrupt Boehner tries a fast one to cheat the American people and give away federal lands to energy companies. Puts oil shale legislation in highway bill.

Checks and Balances Project releases video highlighting Boehner-Lamborn oil shale “boondoggle” Group calls on Speaker, Rep. Lamborn to explain why oil shale is in highway bill despite zero revenue score

Today, the Checks and Balances Project released an online video shining a spotlight on an “oil shale boondoggle” by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.).

An online ad campaign, which links back to the video, starts this afternoon in National Journal, Politico, The Hill, and the Colorado Springs Gazette, the largest daily newspaper in Rep. Lamborn’s home district.

“Speaker Boehner and Rep. Lamborn are selling the American public a bill of goods. Since there is no commercial oil shale industry, there is zero energy, zero revenue, and zero jobs in oil shale,” said Matt Garrington, Colorado-based co-director of the Checks and Balances Project.

Oil shale contains no actual oil and is a rock located in the western United States. The rock contains kerogen, a precursor to oil. Industry has failed to create a commercial oil shale industry despite 100 years of research and billions in investments and taxpayer-funded subsidies.

Shell Oil, which is recognized to be at the forefront of oil shale research, states that a “commercial [oil shale] decision would be in the middle of the next decade and possibly later”.

Rep. Lamborn’s bill, H.R. 3408, would attempt to advance oil shale speculation by handing over two million acres of public lands to oil companies and mandating commercial leasing on 125,000 acres despite the fact that no commercial oil shale industry exists.

The Speaker has designated Rep. Lamborn oil shale legislation as a funding source for his controversial highway funding package, H.R. 7.

The ad campaign follows on the heels of an amendment filed (PDF) by Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) which would strike the oil shale legislation from the highway bill and is poised to set up a House floor showdown between the Colorado representatives.

The group also delivered (PDF) a letter to the Speaker’s office this morning calling for the Speaker and Rep. Lamborn to explain why oil shale is included in the highway funding package despite receiving a zero revenue score by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

“We respectfully request an explanation to the American taxpayer of this disconnect between fact and rhetoric,” wrote Garrington.

Earlier this month, Rep. Lamborn told The Denver Post that oil shale “is not a real contributor to the highway transportation needs we have.”

Ironically, the legislation actually creates a new subsidy for oil companies by setting “bargain basement” royalty rates for oil shale. This means that should oil shale ever actually be developed, local governments would have less revenue to address the costs associated with increased energy development such as new schools, hospitals, fire, law enforcement, hospitals, roads, and other utilities.

The group spent about $30,000 on the online ad and video campaign which runs over the next three days.

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Twitter:

RT @CandBP: New ad campaign asks @SpeakerBoehner, Lamborn to explain why #OilShaleFail is still in transit bill: bit.ly/OilShaleFail
RT @CandBP: A letter to Congress asks @SpeakerBoehner, Lamborn to justify their #OilShaleFail in transit bill: bit.ly/OilShaleFail
RT @CandBP: How is HR 3408, the #OilShaleFail bill, intended to fund our nation’s crumbling transit system? bit.ly/OilShaleFail

Shortlink: 
http://bit.ly/OilShaleFail