With Cheney in Denver today,
New Website Exposes "Misguided Musgrave" 

For Immediate Release
August 13, 2008
Contact: Michael Huttner
(303) 931-4547 cell

DENVER-Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave continues to show how out of touch she is with her constituents by inviting Dick Cheney-former oil executive and chief architect of President Bush's energy policy that has led to soaring energy prices-to a fundraiser while her constituents are struggling with $4 a gallon gasoline prices, ProgressNowAction said Wednesday in announcing the launch of a new website MisguidedMusgrave.com.  Musgrave is appearing with Vice President Cheney in the Denver area today when public disapproval in Colorado of Bush/Cheney is over 60%.

"Misguided Musgrave should start listening to her constituents and stop towing the Bush/Cheney line," said Michael Huttner, executive director of ProgressNowAction, the largest online advocacy organization in Colorado. "A majority of Misguided Musgrave's constituents disapprove of Bush and Cheney and their failed energy policies."

In the latest Quinnipiac poll for Colorado, Bush/Cheney disapproval rating was 61% with only 30% approval. (8/8/2008)

Timeline on Musgrave's record of voting to maximize oil industry profits:

2003: Musgrave voted for the Energy Plan that provided $18.7 billion in tax breaks for the oil industry. (House Vote 145, HR 6, 4/11/03)

2005: Musgrave voted for the 2005 Energy Bill that contained $14.5 billion in tax breaks for the oil industry.(HR 6 Roll Call Vote 445, 7/28/05; Congressional Research Service)  The same year she voted against raising average fuel economy of automobiles from 25 miles-per-gallon to 33 mpg. (Roll Call 121, HR 6, 2/20/2005)

2006: Musgrave voted for extending the Bush Tax Cuts that included $5 billion in tax breaks for the oil industry. (House Vote 135, HR 4297, 5/10/2006, CQ Floor Votes; Washington Post, 4/26/06)

2007: Musgrave voted against a new energy policy that limited tax breaks for big oil. The resulting revenue would have been deposited into a new renewable energy account for research. (House Vote 1177, 12/18/07)

Facts on Musgrave's votes for Big Oil

Musgrave accepted almost $200,000 from the oil and gas industry and has voted to give them billions in tax breaks even though the oil companies are raking in record profits.  She has even voted to protect big oil's tax breaks rather than supporting clean, renewable energy alternatives that could reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  (www.opensecrets.org; HR 6, Congressional Quarterly, Vote 630, 11/18/03;  HR 6 Roll Call Vote 445, July 28, 2005; Congressional Research Service; CQ House Vote 132, HR 6, 4/21/05; Committee on Ways and Means, 7/27/05;  CQ House Vote 109, HR 4297, 4/27/06 and CQ House Vote 121, HR 4297, 5/3/06; House Vote 1177; 12/18/07; Ft. Collins Coloradoan, 3/24/08; House Vote 84, HR 5351, 2/27/08)  

Musgrave has voted four times against penalizing gas price gouging and has voted three times against raising vehicle mileage standards that could save consumer thousands in fuel costs. As recently as July 2008, Musgrave again voted against releasing fuel from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve which has been shown to reduce gas prices significantly each time this has been done in the past.  (Washington Post, 2/2/2008; House Vote 517, HR 3893, 10/7/05; House Vote 500, HR 3402, 9/28/05; House Vote 404, 5/23/07; House Vote 115, 5/3/06; 6/24/08, House Vote 448, HR 6346; Union of Concerned Scientists; Associated Press, 12/18/07;  House Vote 1177, HR 6, 12/18/07; House Vote 121, HR 6, 4/20/05 Vote 132, 4/10/03; Associated Press, 4/11/03; Energy Daily, 4/11/03; Union of Concerned Scientists, June 2001; HR 6578; roll call vote #527)