With the Bush income and capital gains tax cuts on investment for the top 3% set to expire by the end of this year Congress should let the tax cuts for the rich expire, while extending tax cuts for the middle class. Under Bush taxes were also cut though for Big Oil. Stop the giveaways and unnecessary tax cuts to Big Oil. Make Big Oil companies pay their fair share and set up penalties for polluters. It is time to make polluters pay their fair share. Congress must pass comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation this year that protects the environment. A climate and clean energy plan can cut our dependance on foreign oil by half, enhancing national security, protect the environment, create green collar jobs and provide a healthier environment -- breathing dirty air and drinking dirty water can make people sick. We need environmental and safety protections  that benefit the Earth and all its people. 

We can start by ending tax breaks for Big Oil and giving tax cuts to clean energy companies instead. Implement policies that reward good environmentally safe business practices not reckless, greedy businesses.  We can do this with a decent cap and trade system that caps carbon emissions of all polluters whether Big Oil, Natural Gas, or Coal. We can Repower America with cleaner, alternative more affordable sources of energy. 

Drilling for more oil is not the answer -- offshore oil drilling clearly is very risky and the U.S. only has 3% of the world's oil reserves so we can't drill our way out. Also, one day the oil in the Middle East even where we import most of our oil will dry up -- we need to move away from dangerous fossil fuels now.