As ThinkProgress has been documenting, a number of GOP lawmakers, when faced with their constituents’ anger over oil subsidies, have outright denied that these special tax breaks and expenditures even exist. Rep. Ben Quayle (R-AZ) and Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) both denied the existence of oil subsidies, to the shock of their constituents.
At a town hall held this past Monday posted onYoutube, Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN) came face to face with his constituents’ anger over these special favors for the oil industry. At one point, a man who was shocked that Cravaack was advocating for privatizing Medicare to reduce the deficit asked him why the congressman continues to support wasteful spending like offering subsidies for Big Oil.
Cravaack began a rambling response where he dodged the question and started advocating for increased domestic oil drilling. While he did this, constituents interjected to demand to know why Congress continues to subsidize oil companies. Eventually, the congressman simply denied that they even existed:
At a town hall held this past Monday posted onYoutube, Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN) came face to face with his constituents’ anger over these special favors for the oil industry. At one point, a man who was shocked that Cravaack was advocating for privatizing Medicare to reduce the deficit asked him why the congressman continues to support wasteful spending like offering subsidies for Big Oil.
Cravaack began a rambling response where he dodged the question and started advocating for increased domestic oil drilling. While he did this, constituents interjected to demand to know why Congress continues to subsidize oil companies. Eventually, the congressman simply denied that they even existed:
