Senators Markey, Merkley Introduce Legislation Prohibiting Fossil Fuel Executives from Controlling Energy-Related Agencies

Legislation would put a 10-year ban on fossil fuel executives and lobbyists for energy-related federal political appointments

Bill Text (PDF)

Washington (January 16, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today reintroduced the Banning In Government Oil Industry Lobbyists (BIG OIL) from the Cabinet Act, which would prohibit the appointment of executive officers and lobbyists of fossil fuel entities or trade associations as the heads or political appointees of certain government departments that work on issues related to American energy policy for a 10-year period. This includes Trump's nominee for Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, whose Wednesday hearing reinforced his many conflicts of interest from leading multiple oil and gas companies focused on fracking-most recently, as CEO of Liberty Energy.

"Donald Trump isn't building a cabinet, he's installing a cartel," said Senator Markey. "Big Oil executives and fossil fuel lobbyists shouldn't be able to turn public agencies into private profit machines for fossil fuel shareholders. This is a clear ethical line-their work polluting our environment, destroying our climate, and prioritizing corporate profits over democracy must not be rewarded with even more power over the very safeguards set to protect American households from their influence. Especially in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires and more frequent and dangerous disasters fueled by climate change, we can't afford to have a fossil fuel CEO like Chris Wright help the industry capture our federal agencies further for oil profits. We must have government agencies helmed by responsible, qualified executives without blatant conflicts of interest."

"Climate chaos fueled by dirty energy is humanity's greatest challenge, and Trump wants to make sure we fail that challenge by handing our government over to Big Oil. Let's pass this bill and get fossil fuel executives and their ill-gotten bucks out of our government," said Senator Merkley.

"The fossil fuel revolving door has dominated American energy policy for decades and could poison our environment for centuries to come. Oil and gas companies cannot be allowed to regulate themselves and use the government to guarantee their profits. The BIG OIL from the Cabinet Act is a crucial step in returning control of our climate to the American people," said Drew Guillory, Policy Advisor for Food and Water Watch.

"Los Angeles is on fire. Asheville is just starting to rebuild. The climate crisis is here and it's happening because oil and gas CEOs disregarded science and chose to keep burning fossil fuels. They chose to sacrifice millions of homes and lives so they could keep profiting. Those same people should not be in charge of creating energy policy," said Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director of Sunrise Movement.

"The fossil fuel industry is notorious for spending millions of dollars to delay climate action and undermine progress on environmental justice. This bill ensures big polluters are not granted positions of power where it is guaranteed they would degrade environmental protections and block investments in a clean energy future," said Kelsey Crane, Senior Policy Advocate at Earthworks.

The BIG OIL from the Cabinet Act has been endorsed by 198 Methods, 350 Bay Area Action, 350 Hawaii, 350 New Orleans, 350.org, 7 Directions of Service, A Community Voice, Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action, Allegheny County Clean Air Now, Animals Are Sentient Beings, Better Brazoria: Clean Air & Water, Between the Waters, Bold Alliance, Breathe Project, Businesses for a Livable Climate, Call to Action Colorado, Catholic Network US, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for International Environmental Law, Center for Oil and Gas Organizing, Cherokee Concerned Citizens, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Climate Hawks Vote, Climate Revival, Coalition Against Death Alley, Coastal Watch Association, CODEPINK Bay Area, Colorado Businesses for a Livable Climate, Common Ground Rising, Communitopia, Community for Sustainable Energy, Concerned Citizens of St. John, Democratic Socialists of America Knoxville TN, Don't Waste Arizona, Earth Action, Earthworks, Fenceline Watch, Food & Water Watch, For a Better Bayou, Fox Valley Citizens for Peace & Justice, FracTracker Alliance, Fresh Water Accountability Project, Fresnans Against Fracking, Friends of the Earth U.S., Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance, Greater New Orleans Interfaith Climate Coalition, Green House Connection Center, GreenFaith, GreenLatinos, Habitat Recovery Project, Hip Hop Caucus, Impact Appalachia, Inclusive Louisiana, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indivisible Ambassadors, Institute for Policy Studies Climate Policy Program, Interstate 70 Citizens Advisory Group, Intertwined Faith Community, Jewish Earth Alliance Pennsylvania, Kahtoola, Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety, & Environment, Littleton Business Alliance, Los Padres Forest Watch, Louisiana League of Conscious Voters, Mayfair Park Neighborhood Association, Mental Health & Inclusion Ministries, Micah Six Eighty Mission, Mind's Eye Productions, Montbello Neighborhood Improvement Association, Movement Training Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Neighbors Against the Gas Plants, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, NextGen America, North American Climate, Conservation & Environment, North Country Earth Action, North Range Concerned Citizens, Nuclear Energy Information Service, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, Ocean Conservation Research, Oil & Gas Action Network, Oil Change International, Our Sacred Earth, Our Zero Waste Future, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, Plastic Pollution Coalition, Popular Democracy - Popular Democracy in Action, Progressive Democrats of America NJ Chapter, Putnam Progressives, RapidShift Network, Resource Renewal Institute, Rise to Thrive, Rise Up West Virginia, San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper, Save RGV, Save the Environmental Protection Agency, Seneca Lake Guardian, Seven Circles Foundation, Small Business Alliance, Social Eco Education, Southwest Organization for Sustainability, Spirit of the Sun, Sunflower Alliance, Sunrise Movement, System Change Not Climate Change, Texas Campaign for the Environment, The Last Plastic Straw, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, TIAA Divest!, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Unite North Metro Denver, Wall of Women, Western Slope Businesses for a Livable Climate, Womxn from the Mountain, Working for Racial Equity, Young, Gifted & Green, and Zero Hour.

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