Yassamin Ansari: “Today, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 26. My constituents sent me to Congress to fight for them for clean water…”

“Today, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 26. My constituents sent me to Congress to fight for them for clean water, clean air, job security, and lower prices. This legislation accomplishes absolutely none of those things. H.R. 26 says that the President cannot issue a ban on fracking unless authorized by Congress. It is obviously a little bit ridiculous that President Trump is not going to ban fracking. In fact, no President has ever banned fracking. What this bill is, is just an opportunity for some House Republicans to signal their support for their Big Oil allies and their billionaire friends. The United States is already producing more oil than ever, more than any other country in history. Republicans' dirty drilling agenda will not make America any more energy dominant, and it won't drive prices down. If we could drill our way out of the affordability crisis, then we would have already done so. The answer is not more oil. When we drill more and more, the only ones who benefit are those at the top, the CEOs, the multinational corporations, and the already rich billionaires who are profiting off of the American people. In fact, several Federal Trade Commission complaints and class action lawsuits from last year say that Big Oil CEOs have been illegally colluding with each other and with some of our adversaries to keep prices high and profits up. Big Oil is already getting at least $15 billion in subsidies from the Federal Government.…”