On Earth Day, American Bridge is highlighting Senator Kelly Ayotte’s poor record on environmental issues.
“Senator Kelly Ayotte claims to be a moderate who cares about protecting the environment, but her record shows a commitment to big polluters like the Koch brothers and oil companies instead of to keeping the Granite State green,”said American Bridge President Jessica Mackler. “Sen. Ayotte advocated for reining in the EPA and voted to protect tax breaks for corporate polluters and increase offshore drilling. Despite acknowledging the dangers of climate change, Sen. Ayotte continues to put New Hampshire’s natural resources at risk in order to boost profits for her billionaire buddies.”
Background:
Climate Change
2010: Ayotte Signed An Americans For Prosperity Pledge To Oppose Legislation Relating To Climate Change
2010: Ayotte Signed A Koch Brothers Pledge To “Oppose Legislation Relating To Climate Change That Includes A Net Increase In Government Revenue.” According to the New Republic, “[Ayotte] once pledged to Americans for Prosperity—the Koch brothers’ main political arm—that she would vote against any legislation on climate change. What is she doing casting pro-environment votes?” [New Republic, 2/5/15; Americans For Prosperity Press Release,6/8/10]
2010: Denied Man-Man Climate Change Was Scientifically Proven
2010: Ayotte Joined Six Republican U.S. Senate Candidates In Saying “Man-Made Global Warming Hasn’t Been Proven.” According to Foster’s Daily Democrat, “It was symbolic when the six Republican candidates for U.S. Senate stood up together side-by-side during a debate Wednesday. It resembled their positions on major issues. All said they would have voted against extending long-term unemployment benefits. All argued Elena Kagan should not have been appointed to the Supreme Court. All said man-made global warming hasn’t been proven.” [Foster’s Daily Democrat, 8/19/10]
New Republic: Ayotte’s Climate Change Shift Was Caused By Electoral Politics
New Republic: Ayotte Shifting Climate Change Positions Can Be Explained By Electoral Politics. According to the New Republic, “The purple-state Republican faces reelection in 2016, and is belatedly positioning herself left of her party on energy and the environment. That doesn’t make her a true climate moderate, by any means. She voted to fastrack approval for the Keystone pipeline, and, like most Republicans, she’s gone back and forth on whether she believes climate change is manmade. ‘There is scientific evidence that demonstrates there is some impact from human activities,’ Ayotte told the Portsmouth Herald editorial board in 2010. ‘However I don’t think the evidence is conclusive.’ Some environmentalists are skeptical that Ayotte plans on doing anything more substantial to boost her credibility before the 2016 election.” [New Republic, 2/5/15]
Offshore Drilling
Ayotte Voted At Least Twice To Expand Offshore Oil Drilling
2011: Ayotte Voted For A Republican Jobs Proposal Known As The “Jobs Through Growth Act” That Included A Provision To Expand Offshore Oil Drilling And Roll Back Federal Environmental Regulations. In November 2011, Ayotte voted for an amendment that would have put in place a number of Republican policy priorities. According to The Hill, “The ‘Jobs Through Growth Act,’ penned by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) […] included a Sense of the Congress that a balanced budget to the Constitution is needed, a provision to make it easier for the government to rescind unspent funds and a reduction in taxes for individuals and companies. It also would have repealed last year’s healthcare law and the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. In addition, the bill would have limited the authority of the National Labor Relations Board, expanded access to offshore oil and slashed federal regulations related to the environment.” The amendment was a second-degree amendment to a bill to end the withholding requirement for payments to government contractors. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 40 to 56. [Senate Vote 202,11/10/11; The Hill, 11/10/11]
2011: Ayotte Effectively Voted For A Bill To Increase Offshore Oil And Gas Drilling. In May 2011, Ayotte effectively voted for a bill that would, according to the Associated Press, “expand and hasten offshore oil drilling in the face of $4-a-gallon gasoline prices.” The bill would “speed up decision-making on drilling permits and force previously scheduled lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Alaska and Virginia coasts.” The vote was on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill; the motion was defeated 42 to 57. [Senate Vote 73, 5/18/11; Associated Press, 5/19/11]
Tax Breaks For Oil Companies
Ayotte Repeatedly Voted Against Eliminating Tax Breaks For Oil Companies
2012: Ayotte Voted Against Repealing $24 Billion In Tax Breaks For The Five Largest Oil Companies To Fund Extension Of Alternative Energy Tax Credits. In March 2012, Ayotte effectively voted against a bill that would, according to the Evansville Courier and Press, “end several tax breaks worth $24 billion over ten years for the five largest oil companies: BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Shell. More than half of the savings would be allocated to deficit reduction, with the remaining $11 billion used for tax credits to promote natural gas and propane as vehicle fuels, make U.S. homes more energy-efficient and spur the production of renewable and alternative fuels to reduce U.S. consumption of fossil fuels.” The vote was a motion to end debate on the bill, which failed 51 to 47. [Senate Vote 63, 3/29/12; Evansville Courier and Press, 4/1/12]
2011: Ayotte Voted Against Closing Tax Loopholes Used By Five Largest Oil Companies. In May 2011, Ayotte voted against a bill that would, according to the Associated Press, “repeal about $2 billion a year in tax breaks for the five biggest oil companies, a Democratic response to $4-a-gallon gasoline.” The vote was on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill and needed 60 votes to pass; the motion was defeated by a vote of 52 to 48. [Senate Vote 72, 5/17/11; Associated Press, 5/17/11]
2011: Ayotte Voted Against Eliminating Oil And Gas Tax Breaks To Pay For A Repeal Of The Affordable Care Act’s 1099-Reporting Requirement. In February 2011, Ayotte voted against eliminating several oil and gas tax deductions to pay for the cost of repealing the Affordable Care Act’s 1099 reporting requirement for vendor purchases more than $600 by businesses. According to The Hill, “The healthcare reform provision requires businesses to report for each vendor annual purchases of goods or services of more than $600. The House, which must still approve its own version of the legislation, has signaled it would move quickly to repeal the 1099 requirement. […] Levin, backed by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), offered an alternative 1099 amendment Wednesday evening that he said would eliminate tax loopholes for the oil and gas industry to fund repeal.” The amendment, offered to the proposed Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, failed by a vote of 44 to 54. [Senate Vote 7, 2/2/11; The Hill, 2/2/11]
Published: Apr 22, 2016 | Last Modified: Jan 18, 2024