Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this is a tough time for Americans. We all know families are sitting around at their kitchen tables struggling to figure out how to make ends meet, but those tough times have not extended to the boardrooms of the five big oil companies. In 2011 alone, those companies saw more than $100 billion in profits--a sum that is difficult to get your hands around. It is difficult to understand what $1 billion is, let alone $100 billion, not in revenue but in profits. Exxon is sitting on $8 billion that it has not reinvested. Shell is sitting on $13 billion cash in hand. The five largest companies together--BP, Exxon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Shell--have cash resources of $59 billion and have made nearly $1 trillion in profits over the last decade. Meanwhile, the American taxpayers are not only being forced to hand over larger and larger portions of their paychecks at the pump, they are also being asked to have a share of their taxes go to additional subsidies to these large companies. Let me restate that. When you go to the pump and pay $4 or more, the oil companies make a tremendous profit. There is nothing wrong with making a profit in America, but what seems wrong is that these same companies are then coming to these hallowed Halls and saying: We want a handout from the general fund. Those companies know there are many other pressing needs in America. Indeed, there are many folks who are hungry across our Nation.…”