Kamlager-Dove, Committee Democrats Discuss Holding Big Oil Accountable with Expert Panelists at Roundtable
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Vice Ranking Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), joined by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), and Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), held a roundtable discussion with expert panelists titled, “Holding Big Oil Accountable for Extortion, Collusion, and Pollution.”
WATCH the recorded livestream of the roundtable here.
“It’s time for Big Oil’s reign of impunity to end,” said Vice Ranking Member Kamlager-Dove. “For decades, oil companies have defrauded the American people by spreading climate disinformation, targeting Black and Brown communities with their dirtiest pollution, lobbying for corporate handouts, and as new evidence suggests, even colluding with international oil cartels to deepen their pockets at our expense. While Republicans continue to get their marching orders from Trump’s Project 2025 and push for even more polluter profits, House Democrats stand ready to hold Big Oil accountable and chart the path for a cleaner, more affordable energy future. I’m grateful to today’s panelists for lending their expertise to help us do just that.”
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND
A recent Federal Trade Commission complaint and multiple class action lawsuits allege that Big Oil has colluded with OPEC to pad their profits by raising energy prices for Americans. This price-gouging adds to the hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies Big Oil already receives annually through direct tax breaks and by passing along health and environmental cleanup costs to taxpayers and communities.
Meanwhile, House Republicans continue to put polluters over people, pushing additional handouts and giveaways for the fossil fuel industry, many of which mirror proposals in Trump’s Project 2025. Former President Trump also recently requested $1 billion in campaign contributions from Big Oil executives, promising to roll back environmental regulations, fast-track fossil fuel project permitting, and enhance tax breaks even further.
The Members and roundtable panelists discussed these issues, the impacts on American communities, and how Congress can support the American people by holding Big Oil accountable for its extortion, collusion, and pollution.
PANELIST QUOTES & STATEMENTS
"Oil and gas companies are not delivering on their promise of providing stable and cheap domestic energy,” said Kristina Karlsson, Deputy Director of Climate Policy at Roosevelt Institute. “These companies prioritize profits over consumers, contributing to inflation and macroeconomic instability. Now is the time for a publicly managed wind-down of fossil fuels and a complete and equitable transition to renewable energy sources.“
READ Kristina Karlsson’s full written statement here.
"Despite well-documented, multi-decade campaigns of disinformation and deception by Big Oil, Democrats enacted the largest-ever climate and clean energy investment in history. We are building an economy that gives Americans cleaner, more affordable energy choices and creates good-paying jobs across the country,” said Alex Witt, Senior Advisor on Oil & Gas at Climate Power. “Instead of investing in that progress, oil industry executives are colluding with Republican politicians and foreign adversaries to undermine these efforts. Americans can’t afford Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, which would increase household energy costs and destroy clean energy jobs to line the pockets of wealthy fossil fuel executives and shareholders.”
READ Alex Witt’s full written statement here.
"Our community has historically been exploited for cheap labor and has suffered from corporate exploitation, leading to 24.7 percent of families living below the poverty line in the region.,” said Bekah Hinojosa, Co-Founder at South Texas Environmental Justice Network. “Currently, we are facing two proposed methane gas export projects – Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG – that would receive property tax abatements that exempt them from paying over a combined 300 million dollars in taxes to our already impoverished community of Cameron County."
READ Bekah Hinojosa’s full written statement here.
“Before Big Oil CEOs were caught trying to fix prices with OPEC, they were called out for the unfair advantage they gained from drilling on federal land,” said Chris Marshall, Director, Energy & Environment Program at Accountable.US. “It's time to hold them accountable so their greed doesn't cost hardworking taxpayers anymore than it already has.”
READ Chris Marshall’s full written statement here.
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