A House subcommittee hearing Wednesday led by an anti-oil and gas California Democratic congresswoman, a hearing where Devon Energy and other major firms refused to participate, turned into something of a partisan brawl according to POLITICO.
If you recall, as OK Energy Today reported earlier this week, Devon Energy’s CEO Rick Muncrief was one of a handful of oil and gas leaders who declined to take part in what was an obvious set-up by California Rep. Katie Porter, chair of the House Natural Resources’ Oversight committee.
The lack of the appearance of the oil and gas leaders prompted her to claim she had come to the committee “with an open mind” even though she labeled the hearing “Misuse of Taxpayer Dollars and Corporate Welfare in the Oil and Gas Industry.”
Her comments prompted Arizona Republican Rep, Paul Gosar to respond with derision of the hearing, calling it a “publicity stunt.”
POLITICO said he also dismissed the witnesses who did attend as the “C or D teams” and called Porter’s hearing “another act in the majority’s drama vilifying Americans working in the oil and gas industry.”
E&E News reported that the Chairman of the House Oversight’s Environment Subcommittee, Rep. Ro Khanna of California suggested if the oil and gas companies continue to refuse to testify then congress might resort to subpoenas.
Gosar’s antipathy for the way Democrats have run the House is well known and they have responded. His recent comments claiming the pro-Trump mob attack on the Capitol Jan. 6 as largely peaceful prompted some Democrats to seek support to censure him.
Rep. Gosar said during a House Oversight Committee hearing last week that the California woman shot to death by a Capitol police officer had been “executed.”
Source: POLITICO