Thanks but no thanks. It’s what five executives of oil and gas firms, including Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy told a congressional subcommittee that wanted to grill them about what critics called “Corporate Welfare” of the industry.
Why would they want to testify when the chair of the U.S. House Natural Resources Oversight subcommittee is Katie Porter of California, a well known anti-oil Democratic congresswoman? Her intentions were clearly revealed when she labeled the title of the hearing “Misuse of Taxpayer Dollars and Corporate Welfare in the Oil and Gas Industry.”
Devon Energy CEO Richard Muncrief was among the executives asked to offer testimony as OK Energy Today reported last week.
At least two others were EOG Resources CEO William Thomas and Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods. At the time, they were not expected to attend the hearing. Two officials with the Western Energy Alliance were also asked to attend but did not.
“The oil and gas industry gets billions in taxpayer-funded subsidies a year; their top executives owe an explanation to the American people about how they’re spending that money,” said Rep. Katie Porter, who chairs the subpanel, in a statement to POLITICO’s Morning Energy Report.
“Until families get the answers they deserve, Congress has a responsibility to keep asking questions.”