ExxonMobil, Peabody Coal Lobbying for Bill Preventing Climate Change Accounting in US Trade Deals
That bill, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R.644), now may proceed for full-floor votes in both the House and the U.S. Senate after its conference report was agreed upon. A DeSmog review of lobbying records shows the bill has received heavy fossil fuel industry support, but more on that later.
The language in the bill originally dictated that “trade agreements do not require changes to U.S. law or obligate the United States with respect to global warming or climate change.”
Image Credit: U.S. Government Printing Office
According to National Journal, Congress changed that language in the conference report to “greenhouse gas emissions” and took “global warming or climate change” off the table.
Koch-Funded Politician Inserts Language
National Journal also detailed that U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) inserted the original language into the bill and he is content with the amended language, too.
“He finds it acceptable because he received assurance from [U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman] that the [Trade Promotion Authority] bill does not provide the administration any new authority to enter into climate-change agreements,” Sensenbrenner spokeswoman Nicole Tieman told National Journal.
Sensenbrenner, campaign finance records show, maintains Koch Industries as one of his top donors. He also has well over $1 million in fossil fuel industry investments. Those include:
-$100,001 to $250,000 in BP stock
-$39,253 in Chevron stock
-$564,717 to $1,064,716 in ExxonMobil stock
-$250,001 to $500,000 in General Electric stock
-$100,001 to $250,000 in Wisconsin Energy Corporation stock
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