Dingell’s Supporters Backed By Pollution Industry
On Friday, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) announced his whip team, the members of the Democratic caucus who will attempt to wrangle the votes needed to maintain his chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee when the Democrats make leadership decisions on November 17 and 18. In addition to the 26-member whip team, Dingell has received the support of House Ways and Means Committee chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY). Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), who is challenging Dingell for the post, has not made the names of his whip team public, although Reps. Howard Berman (CA), Jim Cooper (TN), and George Miller (CA) have announced their support for his candidacy.
The oil and coal industries have overwhelmingly supported Dingell’s team, and the members’ voting records reflect that. On average, Dingell and his supporters have received nearly six times as much money from Big Oil as Waxman’s team, and nine times as much money from King Coal. Dingell’s supporters have voted with Big Oil’s agenda 2.7 times as often as Waxman’s people, according to Oil Change International’s vote tracker.
| DINGELL V. WAXMAN SUPPORTER AVERAGE | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Averages are for each representative and their respective announced supporters. Donations are for 2000-2008. Information from Oil Change International’s Follow the Oil Money and Follow the Coal Money. |
UPDATE: Gristmill’s Kate Sheppard notes that yet another industry representative has weighed in to support Dingell. “Dingell really has a very good understanding of the industry,” David Cole, chair of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, MI, told Bloomberg. Cole said a Waxman chairmanship would be “very unfortunate” and “the fur would really fly.”
Coal and oil industry donations from 2000 to 2008 to Dingell, Waxman, and their supporters:
| Dingell Whip Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | Coal Money | Oil Money | Big Oil Vote |
| John Dingell (MI) | $578672 | $199866 | 55 |
| Robert Andrews (NJ) | $15500 | $67950 | 30 |
| John Barrow (GA) | $37000 | $31500 | 64 |
| Rick Boucher (VA) | $560394 | $180967 | 55 |
| Allen Boyd (FL) | $92050 | $52700 | 50 |
| Mike Doyle (PA) | $144322 | $54675 | 36 |
| Chet Edwards (TX) | $151349 | $187578 | 55 |
| Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) | $1000 | $5550 | 17 |
| Charlie Gonzalez (TX) | $66849 | $96500 | 55 |
| Bart Gordon (TN) | $75550 | $64850 | 36 |
| Gene Green (TX) | $149750 | $247413 | 73 |
| Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD) | $27500 | $19850 | 45 |
| Baron Hill (IN) | $46550 | $24700 | 17 |
| Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL) | $7650 | $17000 | 18 |
| Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX) | $43750 | $14525 | 27 |
| Jim Matheson (UT) | $60500 | $182747 | 60 |
| Charlie Melancon (LA) | $71500 | $230200 | 64 |
| Gary Peters (MI) | new member | ||
| Collin Peterson (MN) | $14100 | $28000 | 45 |
| Mike Ross (AR) | $89303 | $121100 | 45 |
| Bobby Rush (IL) | $48000 | $35200 | 30 |
| Mark Schauer (MI) | new member | ||
| Heath Shuler (NC) | $5550 | $2750 | 17 |
| Bart Stupak (MI) | $180550 | $35150 | 45 |
| John Tanner (TN) | $18500 | $101700 | 45 |
| Ellen Tauscher (CA) | $36000 | $82750 | 18 |
| Edolphus Towns (NY) | $164450 | $32175 | 27 |
| Waxman Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | Coal Money | Oil Money | Big Oil Vote |
| Henry Waxman (CA) | $18500 | $5000 | 9 |
| Howard Berman (CA) | $20000 | $5000 | 20 |
| Jim Cooper (TN) | $4000 | $28100 | 30 |
| George Miller (CA) | $3500 | $19350 | 0 |