The Truth about Pete Hoekstra:
Pete Hoekstra has spent his entire career fighting for well-connected special interests.
Pete Hoekstra doesn't fight for middle class families that work hard and play by the rules - what's important to him is that his clients at his D.C. lobbying firm. Hoekstra worked to further rig the rules for Washington special interests and insiders as a member of the House of Representatives, and it’s what he will do again if sent to the Senate in 2012. See below for the truth about Pete Hoekstra and his outrageous record:
HOEKSTRA PROTECTS BIG OIL WHILE GAS PRICES RISE:
Hoekstra supports drilling in the Great Lakes, even though a disaster like BP or Enbridge would destroy the Lakes and the thousands of Michigan jobs that depend on them. And Hoekstra wants to give the same big oil companies $40 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies even though we are running record deficits and the oil companies are making record profits.
Hoekstra Supported Drilling In The Great Lakes
In May, Hoekstra told a tea party town hall in Clarkston that he supported drilling for oil and gas in the Great Lakes. [Detroit Free Press, 5/12/12]
Hoekstra Supported Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal
In 2012, Hoekstra said he would have “obviously” voted for Paul Ryan’s budget proposal had he been in Congress.
“If I had the opportunity to vote for or against it in the House of Representatives, I obviously would’ve voted for it,” Hoekstra said. [ITPP Candidate Forum, 5/08/12]
Ryan Budget Protects $40 Billion In Tax Breaks For Big Oil
The Ryan budget proposal protects $40 billion in tax breaks for Big Oil. [Center For American Progress, 3/20/12]
Top Five Oil Companies Reported Record Profits In 2011
The five largest oil companies—BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Royal Dutch Shell—combined to make a record-high $137 billion in profits in 2011—up 75 percent from 2010. From 2001 and 2011, these oil companies made more than $1 trillion. [Center For American Progress, 2/07/12]