August 23, 2011 12:21 AM UTC

Colorado Representatives & the Most Anti-Environment U.S. House in History

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• by: ColoradoConservationVoters

(We can always clean the air with a tax cut, right? – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl)

The 112th Congress is the most anti-environment Congress in US history. Since the start of this year there have been over 100 anti-environment votes. Representatives Lamborn, Tipton and Gardner lead the Colorado delegation in anti-environment votes with 128, 122 and 120, respectively. Looking at their votes shows a disturbing trend away from common sense protection of Colorado’s spectacular environment to a pro-big oil, pro-pollution agenda.

Last year, Colorado taxpayers paid $251 million in tax breaks and subsidies to the five largest oil and gas companies. In the second quarter of this year, those five largest companies made $67 billion dollars. In spite of this, Reps. Lamborn, Tipton and Gardner voted 6 times to protect taxpayer giveaways to these companies. All three representatives also voted 19 times against efforts to combat climate change.

When it comes to programs and funding to keep our air and water clean Reps. Lamborn and Tipton voted against those measures 45 times. Rep. Gardner was a bare smidge better and only voted against them 44 times. Gardner and Tipton voted to defund or weaken the EPA 32 times. Lamborn voted against the EPA 33 times.

Finally, when voting on investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives Gardner voted against them 19 times, Tipton 20 times and Lamborn 25 times.

Looking at the vote totals, one wonders who were the winners in all this, as clearly their constituents, the residents of the state, and, really, the nation on the whole are the losers here. The winners are Gardner, Tipton and Lamborn and the big oil and mining companies who donated to their campaigns.

Gardner has accepted a combined $30,500 from oil and gas and mining companies the first 6 months of this year. That is 13% of his total PAC contributions.  Tipton’s contributions for the first half of this year are $14,000 from oil and gas and mining companies, which is 15% of his total PAC contributions.  One third of Lamborn’s PAC donations the first half of this year came from oil and gas and mining companies totaling $26,000.

It is about time that protecting our air, land, and water becomes higher on Rep Gardner, Tipton, and Lamborn’s priorities.