Frank Wolf Mails It In

A short while ago, Congressman Frank Wolf sent a mailing to his constituents. Billed as constituent information so he could make use of the free postal services afforded to Congresspeople, in reality it is a thinly disguised campaign mailing designed to make the voters of the 10th District think Frank Wolf is doing something about their issues, without actually having our Congressman do anything about our issues.

Congressman Wolf has sponsored 14 Bills in the 110th Congress. That's about one bill every six weeks. But wait! Of those 14 bills, 13 of them are from 2007. Looking back on Frank Wolf's 28 years in Congress, his track record is even more interesting.

Frank Wolf has sponsored 105 bills since Jan 5, 1993, of which 70 haven't made it out of committee and 17 were successfully enacted. Wolf has co-sponsored 2345 bills during the same time period. - GovTrack.us

The Republicans held the majority in Congress between January 1995 and January 2007. In spite of being a senior member (elected in 1982) of the majority for most of the period tracked by GovTrack, our Congressman was only able to get 17 of his bills passed in fifteen years. In the 110th Congress, only two of his bills were passed, a bill calling for the government to develop a strategy to help Chad (and not Chad, the AOL employee who lost his job on Frank Wolf's watch, Chad the African nation), and a bill expressing condolences on the death of his Congressional colleague Jo Ann Davis.

I don't know about you, but if I only produced approximately one success a year in my job, I'd be fired.

Returning to the mail received recently from our Congressman, it is worthwhile to examine Frank Wolf's constituent mailing on Energy, for example, in comparison with Frank Wolf's actual actions in Congress. To cast an informed vote on November 4th, it is helpful to determine whether our Congressman has actually done something on the issues he claims to care about, versus where the Congressman simply claims action without proof. Let's take Frank Wolf's stated positions on Energy from the mailing one by one.

• Invest in Alternative Renewable Energy - The Congressman lists this as his top priority in the mailing. And yet, a review of his 110th Congress bills, the Congress in which this emerged as a critical issue, shows that Frank Wolf sponsored no bill to invest in alternative renewable energy. He has cosponsored some of the Republican bills, but demonstrated no individual, independent leadership on this issue.


• Eliminate Barriers to Exploration - In the 110th Congress, Frank Wolf sponsored no bill to eliminate barriers to exploration. He has "voted for" such things, but demonstrated no individual, independent leadership.


• Build New Refineries and Expand Old Ones - In the 110th Congress, Frank Wolf sponsored no bill to eliminate barriers to build new refineries and expand old ones. He has "voted for" such things, but demonstrated no individual, independent leadership.


• Protect Consumers - In the 110th Congress, Frank Wolf sponsored no bill to protect consumers. This issue is not even on the front page of his website.
  


• Encourage Conservation - In the 110th Congress, Frank Wolf sponsored no bill to encorage conservation. He "voted for" higher CAFE standards, and "drives a hybrid," but has taken no leadership role in Congress on legislation encouraging conservation.


• Increase Mass Transit & Telework Options - Frank Wolf claims to have "taken the lead" on rail to Dulles. However, it is unclear how someone who was taken by surprise that the Dulles Rail funding was at risk in the first place can be said to lead on the issue. Furthermore, he has sponsored no legislation on rail or mass transit in the 110th Congress.

Frank Wolf's "actions" on the issues he, himself, claims are critical are little more than parroting of talking points and "me too" co-sponsorship of other Republican's bills.

After 28 years in Congress, Frank Wolf is without an original idea on the issues that Frank Wolf himself understands to be critical in this election. He is simply mailing it in, tagging along with other Republican bills and paying lip service in mailings to his constituents.

Alternative energy, mass transit, consumer protection and energy conservation have been critical issues in Virginia's 10th District for decades. For 28 years, Frank Wolf has served in Congress. For twelve of those years, Frank Wolf was a senior member of the Republican Majority and for five years he was chair of the Transportation Committee. And yet, in that critical period where Frank Wolf should have gotten something done on these critical issues, he did nothing. It is only now, when being challenged, that he stirs from his usual torpor to merely co-sponsor his colleagues bills and parrot talking points.

After 28 years, we need a Congressperson who will lead on the important issues facing our district, rather than following the failed and tired policy prescriptions of the Bush Administration and obstructionist Republicans in Congress. We need someone willing and able to take action on critical problems, rather than merely mailing in sympathy.

After 28 years, Virginia's 10th District needs Judy Feder.

(Crossposted from Leesburg Tomorrow)

Statement on Frank Wolf's False Statements re: China/Offshore Drilling

From the Feder campaign.

FRANK WOLF FACT CHECK:

Congressman Wolf Makes False Statement on House Floor

Repeats De-bunked Talking Point about China and Offshore Drilling

McLean, VA—On Monday August 4, 2008 Congressman Frank Wolf inaccurately claimed while delivering remarks on the House floor that the Cuban government "has given a lease to the Chinese" to conduct offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The following was reported in Politico on August 4, 2008:

Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) railed about the fact that the Cuban government "has given a lease to the Chinese" to conduct offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Wolf pointed out that the Chinese have provided economic and military support to the government of Sudan, and he attempted to tie the lack of offshore drilling in the United States to the genocide in Darfur, although most audience members — tourists and staff — seemed perplexed by his argument. [GOP Returns for Day 2 Talkathon, Politico, 08/04/08]

And from a press release sent by Congressman Wolf's office that same day:

In his remarks on the floor, Wolf, who supports allowing drilling off our coasts and in remote areas of Alaska, raised the issue of Cuba selling leases for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico -- just 50 miles off the coast of Key West, Florida -- to China, India, Canada and Spain.

Contrary to Congressman Wolf's claims, China does not have a lease for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. This claim is simply untrue, and has been debunked on more than one occasion over the last several months:

Jorge Pinon, a senior energy fellow at the University of Miami specializing in Latin America, said Cuba has awarded offshore oil leases, or concessionary blocs, in its offshore waters to six oil companies — none of them Chinese — and soon may announce an agreement with Brazil's state oil company, Petrobras. [Cheney Attacked for Comment on Chinese Offshore Drilling, USA Today, 06/12/08]

The China-Cuba connection is "akin to urban legend," said Sen. Mel Martinez, a Republican from Florida... [GOP claim about Chinese oil drilling off Cuba is untrue, McClatchy Newspapers, 06/11/08]

China's oil company, Sinopac, has conducted exploratory drilling on a lease on land in western Cuba, but is not involved in the offshore development. [Cheney Attacked for Comment on Chinese Offshore Drilling, USA Today, 06/12/08]

"Judy thinks all options should be on the table, including offshore drilling. But she also believes that we ought to be having an honest discussion based on factual evidence, not misleading the general public with the kind of misinformation that came from Congressman Wolf just a few days ago," said Luke McFarland, Feder campaign manager. "It's hardly a surprise to see these kinds of tired political tactics from people like John Boehner, Roy Blunt and Rudy Giuliani, but it is disappointing to see something like this from Congressman Wolf. I guess after 27 years in Congress, it's difficult to break free from the same old Washington games. But the voters really do deserve better than that."

Feder: "We've got to end our dependence on oil"

It's nice to see that SOMEBODY out there "gets it" when it comes to the energy crisis we're facing. Hint: that somebody is NOT named Frank Wolf. Heh.

With that, here's Judy Feder on how to deal with this challenge:

But the problem is long term. We've got to end our dependence on oil and fossil fuels...and we've got to #1 promote efficiency and conserve energy. We can do that in our cars, in our homes, in our buildings. We've got to use less. We've got to invest in alternative fuels so that we can be more energy efficient and more environmentally sound...We've got to restore our position of leadership in the world on environmental policy that will protect our environment for the future. So, in the short term and the long term, we need leadership and we need change.

You can say that again!

"Big Oil Fuels John McCain's Straight Talk Express"

P.S. The same video could be made about Frank Wolf.

Wolf Votes Against Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act

Here we go again with Frank Rudolph Wolf, the best friend the oil companies (and the Saudis) ever had in Congress. This time, Wolf voted against the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act to "help expand the production and use of renewable energy, create 'green collar' jobs and provide tax important tax benefits to middle class families." As Rep. Jim Moran says, "The path to energy independence, however, is paved not with petroleum but with sustainable, renewable sources of power-a path that protects our environment, creates good jobs and boosts our economy." Moran adds, "Americans have always had the ingenuity, drive and vision to make this a reality; finally we have a Congress to match that's willing to put its muscle behind a plan for a green future."

Apparently, Frank Wolf is not a believe in American ingenuity, drive and vision OR in a "green future." Instead, it's huge profits for ExxonMobil (and the Saudis), $4 per gallon for you. Welcome to Wolf's world!

Don't like $140 per barrel oil? Tell Frank Wolf

This pretty much sums up where we're at in terms of energy, thanks in no small part to President Bush's complete inaction the past 7 1/2 years to break our "oil addiction." And remember, as you pay $4 per gallon at the pump, that Frank Wolf has been there to rubber stamp Bush every step of the way. Remember:

*Wolf has voted repeatedly to maintain tax breaks for Big Oil, even while those companies pollute the environment and rake in record profits.

*On January 18, 2007, Frank Wolf voted against H.R. 6, the "Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act."

*On December 6, 2007, Frank Wolf voted against H.R. 846, "Providing for the Consideration of the Senate Amendments to the Bill (H.R. 6), Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act." Again, what does Frank Wolf have against the environment and energy security?

*Wolf has voted time and again against clean, renewable energy.

*Those votes have earned Wolf dismal ratings from the League of Conservation Voters - a 27% average over the past 5 years. Awful.

If you don't like Frank Wolf's record on energy issues, you can contact him at these phone numbers or by email. Even better, you can support Judy Feder for Congress and get a representative who's more concerned with you than with Big Oil.