And, here come the cuts.

By Michael Kelly, Director of Online Communications Well, at least we know where Congress stands now. Today our Representatives and Senators chose the status quo and $8 billion in subsidies to Big Oil over funding for programs that protect the health of our water and funding for national parks and forests. They went with Big Oil over programs for food safety and air traffic controllers. They even chose Big Oil over the military. Over the next few weeks, as Congress allows its mandatory across-the-board budget cuts (aka “sequestration”) to take effect, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of the Interior and other Federal agencies will begin to “furlough” employees or slash programs. That means reduced air pollution monitoring (just as pollution levels begin to spike during the summer months), less funding for cleanup of toxic Superfund sites or for meeting drinking water safety standards, even the closure of national park facilities and services just as we head into their busiest time of the year.  At the same time, Big Oil will still be pulling in Federal Corporate welfare as their profits soar. Whose interests are our elected officials representing? (Don't answer that) It is unconscionable that Congress would allow the health and welfare of the most vulnerable…our children, the elderly and the sick…to be affected while big oil companies continue to get their outrageous handouts!  The leadership of the House of Representatives needs to listen to the American people and stop blocking responsible tax reform.  Big Oil doesn’t need more of the taxpayers’ money; those subsidies need to be eliminated immediately. We elect members to Congress for a simple reason: to work for us. Congress needs to do its job and pass a commonsense budget that protects vital programs while stopping wasteful subsidies to polluters!  We can’t afford additional spending cuts to programs that protect our health and environment while also creating new jobs and stimulating the economy. It’s time for us to tell Congress, start representing us.