Dementia Joe Biden is headed to Scotland for the United Nations Climate Change Summit, with a majority of his useless cabinet (looking at you, John Kerry), California Governor Gavin “Hair Gel” Newsom, and 15 of California’s equally useless legislators.
While this entourage creates a huge carbon footprint and further wastes taxpayer money, NY Rep. Carolyn Mahoney (D-Facelift), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight Reform, conducted a hearing on Thursday, titled, “The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Climate Change Disinformation Campaign.”
It’s like being taken to the woodshed. The very title alludes to the Democrat’s intent. Mahoney believed she was going hold ExxonMobil executives Chevron, BP, BP, Shell responsible for spreading misinformation about rising gas prices.
Mahoney was let down by both the Republicans and his executives.
Starting at New York TimesThis is:
On Thursday, Democrats asked the Exxon Mobil and Chevron chief executives, BP, BP, Shell, if they would agree to cease lobbying to lower emissions. Did they agree to cease lobbying against electric cars?
The executives disagreed.
Mahoney and other Democrats were not expecting to be challenged. Between the inability to whip the votes for Biden’s signature “Build Back Better” infrastructure package and this sham of a hearing, it was turning into a less than banner day.
The leaders of four of the largest oil and gas companies proclaimed their support for clean energy transition and claimed that they have never used campaigns to deceive the public about the impact of fossil fuels on global warming. The four major oil and gas companies all acknowledged climate change was caused by the burning of their products, while also telling lawmakers fossil fuels will not disappear.
“Oil and gas will continue to be necessary for the foreseeable future,” said Darren Woods, C.E.O. Exxon Mobil. “We currently do not have the adequate alternative energy sources.”
During the hearing, which lasted more than six hours, Democrats were forceful in their responses. “Some of us actually have to live the future that you all are setting on fire for us,” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told the executives.
Democrats hoped to relive the excitement of the 1990 tobacco hearings. In those hearings, lawmakers placed the C.E.O.s from cigarette companies in the spotlight and every executive said that smoking wasn’t addictive. There was shouting, shaming, and one demonstration involving a jar of M&Ms to make the point that the companies were investing relatively little in renewables, about 1 percent of their total capital expenditure, according to the International Energy Agency.
Newsflash, Democrats: it’s not the 1990s anymore. With Americans concerned about how they are going to buy food, fill their gas tanks, and heat their homes this winter, climate change just seems so… last century, and these executives were able to leverage this to their advantage.
But the executives — Mr. Woods of Exxon Mobil, Gretchen Watkins of Shell, Michael K. Wirth of Chevron and David Lawler of BP — seemed to have learned from the tobacco hearings as well, sticking to their scripts, emphasizing their concerns over global warming and citing their internal targets for cutting emissions.
Suzanne Clark of the United States Chamber of Commerce joined the group, Mike Sommers of the American Petroleum Institute. They appeared on video, but not in person because of fears over the pandemic.
Republicans on the Committee called the hearing “a distraction from the most pressing issues facing Americans,” as stated above.
FL Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Bedrock), pretty much wiped out Mahoney’s speech.
WATCHThis is:
Rep. @ByronDonaldsHow can we expect to win? [China]On the international stage, we are cutting our throats when it comes energy production, while they burn more coal and more oil. They’re also increasing their emissions, which is not happening in Scotland. pic.twitter.com/WnIyUbKKPG
— X Strategies LLC (@XStrategiesLLC) October 28, 2021
To the witnesses: First, Exxon and Chevron leaders, BP, Shell. I know that the climate activist in Twitterworld, which Dave Chappelle says doesn’t exist, and he’s right; because it’s just people who have nothing better to do but type on their keyboards. It’s what we do here at Congress. But let’s be very clear, you need an apology. What I saw today was nothing but a blatant intimidation of the chair of this committee. The First Amendment is clearly violated when someone tries to force you into a pledge about what you will spend your money.
And just because we’re members of Congress, and we got microphones, and we pass laws, does not mean that we also have the ability to infringe on your ability to what to organize, whether it’s API or anybody else, or what you choose to spend your money on.
It’s disgusting. It’s absolutely horrible. Merrick Garland needs to be called immediately. He should tell Merrick to come in, and then watch the intimidation from today’s panel. It’s not about defending oil and defending any kind of big thing. It’s about defending the ability of people in our country to be free: say what they want, think what they want, spend their money how they choose. And if we are not going to be any better than the Chinese, how do we ever expect to beat them on the world stage when we’re cutting our neck when it comes to energy production while they are burning more coal, burning more oil, they’re increasing their emissions and they’re not showing up in Scotland.
It left a lasting impression. Donalds laid it right between the eyes, and didn’t mince words about what was truly at stake. Our leaders may be contributing more to climate change by flying half-way around the globe than oil executives, but China does not waste its energy or time on window dressing. Their energies are focused on dominating the globe.
Donalds continued:
You know why they’re not showing up in Scotland? Because they’re interested in building an economy. They’re interested in being the dominant economic player across the globe. They’re interested in being the dominant military player across the globe, and while we joke around and mess around intimidating you guys, who frankly heat our homes, you cool our fridges, you keep our cars going. This is crazy.
So I’m sorry for you, and I’m sorry for the people in our country who have to witness shenanigans like this and witness circuses like this That’s why they call that one show on HBO or whatever it is, “The Circus,” because that’s exactly what this is.
There must have been singed hair and clothing tainted with smoke residue, because Donalds’ speech was fire! As Florida’s, and the nation’s representative, he is the standout for leadership in action.
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