How much of a Washington insider is Pete Hoekstra? Just consider that he announced his Senate candidacy from his office at a lobbying firm in Washington D.C. [1]

Just a few weeks after leaving Congress, Pete Hoekstra started his new job in a Washington lobbying firm. It is no surprise that Washington special interests were eager to give Hoekstra a job. After all, he spent eighteen years in Congress voting like a lobbyist, so why not put him on the payroll at one of their firms?Here are some of the handouts and giveaways that Pete Hoekstra supported for the largest special interests in Washington:

• He voted repeatedly in favor of special tax cuts for big oil and gas companies. 
  [House Vote #78, 2/27/2008; CQ Today, 2/27/2008, House Vote #40, 1/18/2007; CQ Today, 1/18/2007, House Vote #109, 4/27/2006; National Journal’s CongressDaily, 4/28/2006, House Vote #167, 5/18/2006; Grand Rapids Press, 5/19/2006]
• Hoekstra Voted for $25 Billion in government handouts to Energy Companies. In 2003, Hoekstra voted for an energy bill which contained $25 billion in giveaways to the energy industry.
  [House Vote #630, 11/18/2003]
• Hoekstra Voted Against Closing $14 Billion in Tax Loopholes for Companies Who Ship Jobs Overseas. Hoekstra voted against legislation which would have closed $14 billion in tax loopholes encouraging companies to send American jobs overseas
  [House Vote #324, 5/28/2010]