FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 18, 2011

Contact: Maggie Kao, 202-675-2384

Senate Soundly Rejects McConnell Drilling Bill
42-57 Vote Puts Majority Against More Drilling for Big Oil

Washington, D.C. – Today in a bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate soundly rejected Sen. Mitch McConnell's plan to reward Big Oil with more drilling and less accountability. The 42-57 vote today followed a majority vote yesterday in favor of ending tax breaks for Big Oil.

In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued the following statement:

“We applaud the Senate’s strong rejection of Sen. McConnell's plan for more handouts to Big Oil today.  Senators recognized that this bill would have done nothing to ease Americans’ pain at the pump or decrease the deficit.

“Americans are tired of Big Oil’s free ride on the government dime; they are tired of paying  sky-high gas prices to pad Big Oil’s profits and they are tired of letting Big Oil freely pollute our air and water.

“After only a year since the BP Oil Disaster – the largest environmental catastrophe in our nation’s history, and one that continues to haunt thousands of working families and businesses in the Gulf Coast - now is not the time for ‘Drill, Baby, Drill.’

 “It’s time we end Big Oil’s stranglehold on our economy and break our nation’s dangerous dependence on oil through smart transportation choices, better, more fuel efficient vehicles and real solutions to move us beyond oil.“

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