Policymakers Who Pushed for Less U.S. Oil & Gas Production Now Criticize Industry for Not Increasing Production

Rep. Khanna, October 2021: “Mr. Wirth [CEO of Chevron]. Are you embarrassed as an American company that your production is going up while the European counterparts are going down?… OK. You are not embarrassed. I am just asking an open question. It is not a ‘‘gotcha’’ question. Do you commit to do anything to matching your European counterparts to try to bring the actual demand of oil production down?” (Congressional Hearing, 10/28/21)

• Rep. Ro Khanna, April 2022: “Big Oil is spending billions on stock buybacks and refusing to increase production while hard working Americans are paying the price.” (Twitter feed, 4/2/22)

Rep. Frank Pallone, October 2021: “It is abundantly clear that fossil fuels are not the energy sources of the future. This crisis further demonstrates the urgent need to move away from coal, gas, and oil and to invest renewable energy like wind and solar.”(Twitter feed, 10/10/21)

• Rep. Pallone, April 2022: “If these [oil] companies really wanted to do something about high gas prices, they would put their profits to work to increasing production.” (Congressional hearing, 4/6/22)

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, September 2020: “Today Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky… introduced the Future Generations Protection Act. This bill would help ensure a rapid shift to clean renewable energy by stopping further expansion of fracking and new fossil fuel infrastructure.” (Press Release, 9/17/20)

• Rep. Jan Schakowsky, April 2022: ““The oil companies made a decision in this crisis right now to raise the cost, to gouge the consumers…When we see that the oil companies actually made a decision not to produce anymore but rather to increase their profits and with that money to do things like stock buybacks” (CNBC, April 6, 2022)

Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán, December 2021: “As Congress and President Biden work to make record investments in clean energy to reduce pollution and create millions of green jobs, we should reduce fossil fuel infrastructure, not expand it.” (Press Release, 12/7/21)

• Rep. Barragán, April 2022: “While the American people are getting ripped off, these [oil] companies choose to keep production low so their profits can remain high, and people are hurting.” (Congressional hearing, 4/6/22)

Rep. Darren Soto, February 2020: “…[f]racking is a threat to our health, safety and environment. If we want to transition from fossil fuel emissions as we work towards building a 100 percent clean economy, pulling back from fracking is a critical first step.” (Press Release, 2/12/20)

• Rep. Soto, April 2022: “So my question to all of you [oil executives] is will you step up? Will you increase production and commit to increasing production and for how much during April?” (Congressional hearing, 4/6/22)

The Congressional Hearing’s Mixed Messaging Is A Snapshot Of A Broader Issue Among Some Policymakers

CA Gov. Gavin Newsom, April 2021: “I’ve made it clear I don’t see a role for fracking in that future and, similarly, believe that California needs to move beyond oil.” (CA Governor, 4/23/21)

Gov. Newsom, March 2022: “Today we’re announcing a $9 billion tax refund to tens of millions of Californians…That direct relief will address the issue that we’re all struggling to address and that’s the issue of gas prices.” (Twitter feed, 3/23/22)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, March 2022: The “CEOs of large oil and gas companies should be advised that they will have to provide answers before the Senate very soon. Why stock buybacks? Instead of lowering prices, or increasing productivity…” (Senate Democrats, 3/16/21)

• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, July 2021: “There is an imperative, not just an option, to stop this [natural gas] plant and to stop all of the expansion of coal, oil, and gas throughout our country and, frankly, throughout our world.”  (The New Republic, 7/9/21)

President Biden, March 2022: “Why aren’t [oil companies and executives] out pumping oil? … they would rather take those profits and buy back stock rather than take that money and invest it in pumping new oil.” (White House, 3/11/22)

• Biden, a few seconds later: “In my first year in office, American production grew by 9.7 million barrels a day to 11.6 million.” (White House, 3/11/22)