Protecting American Energy Production Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, this is just the latest in a long line of loopholes and handouts for Big Oil executives to get richer as the rest of us suffer.

Fracking is practically unregulated at the Federal level because 20 years ago then-Vice President Dick Cheney, the former CEO of Halliburton, inserted a loophole into the Energy Act of 2005, explicitly exempting fracking chemicals from EPA regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Think about that, Madam Speaker. That means that the oil and gas industry doesn't need to disclose any of the toxic chemicals that are seeping into our drinking water. Halliburton, of course, is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world and also just happens to be behind most of the major fracking worldwide.

For the last 20 years, we have been stuck with the so-called Halliburton loophole, a terrible reminder of the revolving door of oil money in politics and how Big Oil buys its way into the Halls of Congress and the White House every single day. In fact, our new Secretary of Energy is the founder and former CEO of Liberty Energy, another fracking company.

Moreover, the Halliburton loophole isn't the only giveaway that fracking benefits from. Under the Clean Water Act, there are provisions to prevent polluted stormwater runoff from contaminating our waters unless--there is an exemption--the runoff comes from oil and gas development facilities.

Republicans want to give an even bigger handout to Big Oil with this toxic legislation. They are sending the message to communities all across the country, our residents, that corporate polluters' profits are more important than their health and their own drinking water. It is clear that they are doing this because it has been polluters over people for Republicans 20 years ago, and it is polluters over people now.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this environmental destruction and protect our drinking water that is in crisis right now throughout our country.

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