Congresswoman Stands Near Her Gas-Powered Minivan While Using Candy, Rice to Prove Oil Companies Are Bad

Democratic California Rep. Katie Porter stood close to her gas-powered minivan whereas utilizing sweet and rice as props throughout a Home listening to on “Massive Oil.”

Porter laced into fossil gasoline trade officers, utilizing the props to indicate how a lot cash the businesses spend on oil and gasoline manufacturing in comparison with renewable options and the way a lot federal land they management for drilling.

Whereas Porter criticized the executives and their corporations, she stood close to a gas-powered minivan that she used to hold rice luggage for her demonstration.

“Whenever you foyer and sue so to take extra of our public land, you’re saying an excessive amount of is rarely sufficient,” Porter stated towards the top of her remarks on Thursday.

“The American individuals are bored with this charade.”

The California Democrat was referencing the fossil gasoline trade’s opposition to President Joe Biden’s executive order banning all new oil and gasoline leases on federal land.

A federal choose blocked the Biden administration’s motion, nevertheless, and ordered it to proceed leasing federal lands.

Throughout her questioning, Porter held up a grain of rice and stated it represented an acre of public land. She then opened her minivan’s trunk, revealing a number of luggage of rice which she stated depicted the whole acreage oil and gasoline corporations managed for drilling functions.

“You have already got 13.9 million acres. That is equal to Maryland and New Jersey mixed,” Porter stated, elevating her voice. “How far more do you want?”

She then opened one of many luggage of rice and poured its contents out.

The Home Oversight Committee listening to marked the start of what Subcommittee on the Surroundings Chair Ro Khanna said can be a year-long investigation into “Massive Oil’s” alleged decadeslong disinformation marketing campaign to cover details about climate change from People.

Khanna has likened the investigation and listening to to a 1994 probe into tobacco corporations led by former Rep. Henry Waxman.

Executives from ExxonMobil, BP America, Chevron, Shell Oil and the American Petroleum Institute, a commerce group that represents the fossil gasoline trade on Capitol Hill, appeared earlier than the committee Thursday.

Earlier in her questioning, Porter used M&M’s to depict how little Shell Oil had dedicated to renewable vitality in comparison with fossil fuels. She stated the $2-3 billion that Shell stated it might put towards renewables and different vitality options was “greenwashing.”

“Congresswoman, what I can inform you is that there must be each a requirement and a provide of fresh vitality which is why we’re working very carefully with our clients in order that that demand will increase over time,” Shell Oil President Gretchen Watkins responded earlier than Porter interrupted her.

Committee Republicans, in the meantime, criticized Democrats for his or her conduct in the course of the listening to and repeatedly defended the officers who had been referred to as to testify.

“I apologize to our witnesses that had been referred to as and requested to participate on this right now,” Republican Rep. Pete Periods stated after Porter’s line of questioning.

“As chairman of the Guidelines Committee for six years, I by no means witnessed nor would have allowed this type of intimidation that’s going down on individuals who we invited to come back and supply open solutions.”

Porter’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to the Each day Caller Information Basis’s request for touch upon the matter.

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