Fossil Fuels Using House Dems Introduce “Keep It In The Ground”

by William Teach | February 13, 2016 7:55 am

I wonder how many of these Democrats have taken contributions from fossil fuels companies, to go along with their own use of fossil fuels? These are questions not asked by Samantha Page at Joe Romm’s George Soros funded Climate Progress[1]

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) introduced[2] the Keep It in the Ground Act on Thursday. Under the bill, there would be no new leases for extraction of fossil fuels — such as coal, oil, and gas — on all federal lands. It would also stop new leases for offshore drilling in the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico and prohibit offshore drilling in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

“This is a response to a real outpouring of support for this cause that I have seen, not just from my constituents on the north coast of California, but really from all over the country,” Huffman told reporters during a call Thursday. “We’ve got to get much more aggressive in this fight against climate change, because we know what we put off today will only make the cost and the damage greater for our children tomorrow.”

The bill has 17 Democratic cosponsors in the House and is a companion bill to one introduced in the fall[3] in the Senate. “I think the only remaining climate deniers in America are my Republican colleagues in the United States Congress,” Huffman quipped.

A goodly chunk of Huffman’s major contributors are in businesses that require lots of fossil fuels to operate, such as the Teamsters and Airline Pilots Association. His #1 donor[4] for 2014 was PG&E Corp, a big user of fossil fuels.

During the call Thursday, Huffman also mentioned the recent Supreme Court decision[5] to stay the Administration’s Clean Power Plan rule, saying that despite the court’s action, more and more people are advocating for action on climate and catalyzing change.

“I hope [the stay] will only be a speed bump,” Huffman said. “I think it will underscore the importance of all of our other efforts.”

More and more people? The issue is typically down at the bottom of what Americans are concerned over, and attempting to reduce the availability of inexpensive power sources will only serve to raise the cost of living for Americans, seriously damaging the lives of the middle and lower classes.

And, if so many are concerned, why only 17 cosponsors? Anyhow, in the press release cited in the first excerpt we read

“Our nation’s capacity to transition towards clean energy sources is expanding at a record pace,” said Huffman. “However, there is still much to be done to break our unhealthy dependence on fossil fuels. Our oceans and our public lands-including the fossil fuel deposits beneath them- belong to the American people, not to the oil and gas industry, and it’s time that the law reflects that fact. There is an urgent need to keep fossil fuels in the ground if we want to protect the planet for future generations. The ‘Keep It in the Ground Act’ represents a crucial step that the federal government can take to protect the public, prevent carbon emissions, and fight climate change.”

When will he give up his own dependence on fossil fuels? You can bet he’s not riding a bike or driving a non-fossil fueled vehicle across the country from California to Washington, D.C.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove[6]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[7].