Rapid Response: Take Big Oil off the Public Dole

Tomorrow, the new House leaders will take on our Big Oil energy policy. They will take a long overdue first step toward real, sustainable energy independence. And the best part: it won't cost us a dime. Instead, the House plans to pay for it by reversing the $14 billion handout that previous Congresses lavished on Big Oil.But taking on Big Oil -- and Dick Cheney -- won't be easy. We need a massive vote in the House tomorrow to gain momentum going into the Senate. For that we need your help.Act now. Contact your representative before tomorrow's vote and urge him/her to pass the CLEAN Energy Act, to take back the $14 billion giveaway to Big Oil and invest it in renewable power.That's right. The previous conservative Congress of Tom DeLay decided that we weren't gouged at the pump enough and that Big Oil's record profits were insufficient. So, they took $14 billion of our money and funneled it to their political patrons in the oil and gas industry.But here comes change: tomorrow's legislation will take back the Big Oil handouts and invest it in a brand new renewable energy fund. What can $14 billion potentially do? Power 4.2 million homes with wind energy. Create 29,000 jobs in the solar industry. Or fund incentives to help 5.6 million Americans purchase hybrid cars.But those oily CEOs won't give up easily. They want every billion they can get their hands on. They're spending hundreds of millions to clean up their public image and pressure Congress to kill clean energy legislation -- putting their profits ahead of our environment, our economy and our security.We need your voice to rise above theirs. Contact your representative today -- before tomorrow's vote -- and urge him/her to pass the CLEAN Energy Act, and put Big Oil's ill-gotten gains into a clean energy future.The CLEAN Energy Act is only a down payment on complete energy independence. We have much more work to do to realize the full vision of our Apollo Alliance program, which would create three million clean energy jobs and kick the oil habit for good.But today, you can lay the groundwork for a clean energy future. Tell your representative to stand up to Big Oil, change the direction of our energy policy, and pass the CLEAN Energy Act.Your efforts count. Already, the House has started to change the direction of our country by raising the minimum wage, requiring Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices, and passing new ethics rules that ban gifts and junkets paid for by lobbyists. Tomorrow, with your support, we will make another change in course, and start down the path to a clean energy future.Thank you.