ThinkProgress filed this report from the Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington, DC.
Three times this year, House Republicans voted unanimously to protect subsidies for oil companies.
But as the GOP faced a major voter backlash, especially during times of immense profits for oil companies, one conservative Republican spoke out in March against continuing oil subsidies: Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA).
ThinkProgress spoke with McClintock after his speech today at the Faith and Freedom Conference to elaborate on his call to end oil subsidies. McClintock said such subsidies are “distorting” the price of oil and called for getting “rid of all the subsidies.” When asked why other fiscal conservatives weren’t standing with him in this cause, McClintock was optimistic, predicting that more Republicans would soon be joining him. “We have to reach out to folks from time to time, but when you do, they get it,” said McClintock. “I think we’re going to see a strong movement in that direction.”:
KEYES: Back in March, you came out in favor of ending oil subsidies. Can you just walk us through that decision a little bit.
McCLINTOCK: Sure. Prices include a tremendous volume of information. Oil prices include transportation costs, alternative fuel costs, bribery rates in Venezuela, demand in China. Whenever we subsidize any product, we are distorting that information which is absolutely critical for consumers to make rational decisions. So we ought to get rid of all the subsidies and allow those prices to convey accurate information to consumers so that they can make accurate decisions about where they are putting their dollars.
KEYES: Are you worries at all that there aren’t more fiscal conservatives on the right who are joining you in this?
McCLINTOCK: I’m not worried. They didn’t call them self-evident truths for nothing. We have to reach out to folks from time to time, but when you do, they get it. I think we’re going to see a strong movement in that direction.
KEYES: Do you think that more Republicans might be joining you soon on this?
McCLINTOCK: Yes, I do.
Watch it:
Still, despite McClintock’s harsh words, he was one of many Republican congressmen who criticized oil subsidies but then voted to protect them.
Check out ThinkProgress’s video compilation of GOP hypocrisy on oil subsidies.