Cook: Tim Griffin’s Many Votes Against Oil Pipeline Safety

Cook's Outlook

by Michael Cook ([email protected]) July 23, 2013 10:33 am 120 views 

If you’ve watched Congressman Tim Griffin over the past couple of months you’ve noticed that he’s in a mad scramble to cover his posterior for his fervent support of oil pipelines.

Griffin’s 2012 re-election campaign message was basically advocating the building of the Keystone oil pipeline, that and ending the so-called “Obamaphones”, which Ronald Reagan created, but that’s another story.

Then this year a major pipeline spilled a massive amount of oil in one of his district’s more populous counties, causing a political tar pit for Griffin which he’s frantically trying to climb out of.

Back home in Arkansas, Griffin proclaims he’s for oil pipeline safety, but when you look at his voting record up in D.C. it turns out he likes to vote against oil safety.

Today, the Democratic Party of Arkansas sent a helpful press release highlighting Griffin’s record of opposing legislation that would protect Americans. The main points of their news release were:

1) Griffin Repeatedly Voted to Keep Cuts to Pipeline Safety.

2) Griffin Voted Against Requiring Companies To Have a Disaster Plan for Oil Spills.

3) Griffin Voted Against Requiring Pipeline Builders Pay Their Fair Share for Oil Spills.

You can check out the DPA’s documentation below that shows Griffin’s record of siding with oil companies instead of Arkansans.

Tim Griffin may say he’s fighting for oil pipeline safety, but his rhetoric doesn’t match his record.

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From the DPA:  Tim Griffin’s Votes Against Oil Safety

Congressman Griffin Repeatedly Voted to Keep Cuts to Pipeline Safety. In 2013, Griffin voted to keep federal sequester cuts impacting pipeline safety. The Office of Management and Budget reported that in FY 2013, the federal sequester would make the cuts to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, including: $5 million from pipeline safety, $1 million from emergency preparedness grants, $1 million from Trust Fund Share of Pipeline Safety, and $2 million from hazardous materials safety. For FY 2014, the federal sequester would cut $2 million from PHMSA’s emergency preparedness grants. [H Con Res 25, Vote #88, 3/21/13; HR 115, Vote #82, 3/19/13; OMB FY 2014 Report, 5/20/13; OMB FY 2013 Report, 3/01/13]
 
Congressman Griffin Voted Against Requiring Companies Have a Disaster Plan for Oil Spills. In 2011, Griffin voted against an amendment that required oil and gas companies to have contingency plans for worst-case scenarios, including plans for oil containment and cleanup, when applying for 5-year oil and gas off-shore permits. [The Hill,5/11/11; Congressional Record, 5/11/11; HR 1231, Vote #315, 5/11/11]

 

Congressman Griffin Voted Against Requiring Pipeline Builders Pay Their Fair Share for Oil Spills.  In May 2013, Griffin voted against requiring TransCanada, the developer of the Keystone XL pipeline to contribute a portion of their revenue per barrel into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Companies that transport oil are required to pay 8-cents per barrel into the trust fund, used by the federal government to respond to oil spills. Oil sands crude is currently exempt from making contributions to the Liability Trust Fund. [HR 3, Vote #178, 5/22/13]