Eau Claire, WI — At today’s debate in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District, Derrick Van Orden defended a war that has cost families in his district an extra $839 at the pump and dodged his record on oil and gas campaign contributions and data centers.
Van Orden boasted his support for the Iran war, which he has voted six times to continue. Thanks to this war, Wisconsin hit an all-time record for diesel prices in late September, and farmers across the district are struggling to stay afloat.
To make matters worse, Van Orden has repeatedly downplayed the impacts of high gas prices, saying that “everybody gets it,” and that high prices were the cost of “protecting American citizens.” He has also said the Iran war was only a “partial reason” for high fuel costs, and recently, he blamed high diesel prices on the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia.
Meanwhile, Van Orden has received $101,533 in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry in this cycle and $137,742 throughout his career. While these corporations make massive profits off of the Iran War, they fund Derrick Van Orden in the race.
Van Orden also hid from comments he’s made in the past about data centers, like arguing that data centers were “critically important to national security,” minimizing concerns about their water use, and claiming the Chinese Communist Party was responsible for Americans’ opposition to data centers. His voting record showcases his support for data centers: Van Orden voted for $80 billion in tax breaks for data centers, voted to fast-track them past community objections, and even to ban Wisconsin from passing its own guardrails.
Van Orden may try to point fingers at his opponent; we all know that if re-elected, he’ll continue supporting policies that raise prices for everyday Wisconsinites who can’t catch a break.
