DCCC - Ohio Republicans: Rubber Stamps For Tom DeLay

Friday, September 30, 2005

For Immediate Release September 30, 2005

Ohio Republicans: Rubber Stamps for Tom DeLay

With Their Ethically Challenged Leader Now Indicted by a Grand Jury in Texas, Will Ohio Republicans Continue to be a Rubber Stamp for Tom DeLay?

How often they vote with Tom DeLay:

Ralph Regula 87% Patrick Tiberi 95% Deborah Pryce 90%

(Washington, D.C.) Today, Americans are questioning why Ohio House Republicans vote so often with their indicted Republican leader, Tom DeLay. The Ohio Republican delegation has successfully earned the distinction of Rubber Stamp for Tom DeLay. Ohio House Republicans seem to love to follow their leader, but with DeLay now indicted by a grand jury in Texas, will they continue to support the DeLay agenda?

This week, the evidence suggests that they will. The very day the news of DeLays indictment came down, Congressional Republicans joined their indicted leader in a party-line vote to oppose gas price relief to American families. The proposed amendment would have cracked down on gas-price gouging and helped control the now skyrocketing cost of gas. Instead of making the responsible choice for the families they represent, DeLays Rubber Stamps voted to protect the oil companies profits and to stick Americans with the bill.

As Rubber Stamps of indicted Republican leader Tom DeLay, Ohio Republicans voted this week to allow harmful gas price gouging to continue, said Bill Burton, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Americans are paying more at the pump than ever and with Ohio House Republicans, acting as rubber stamps, running to follow their indicted leader, they arent looking out for the families they represent.

Oil companies and refineries have already reported record profits this year. Consumers are frustrated that they are being forced to pay higher prices at the same time that oil companies and refiners are enjoying record profits totaling tens of billions of dollars. The following companies reported the following earnings in the second quarter of 2005: ExxonMobil up 32 percent, to $7.62 billion; BP up 37 percent, to $5.84 billion; Shell up 35 percent, to $5.34 billion; ChevronTexaco up 12.8 percent, to $3.68 billion; and ConocoPhillips up 55 percent, to $3.10 billion.