Hill Heat

On Thursday, September 15, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. ET, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Rep. Ro Khanna, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Environment, will hold a hearing to examine Exxon, Chevron, BP, and Shell’s record-breaking profits, discuss the adequacy of their climate pledges, and hear firsthand accounts from survivors of climate change-induced severe weather events.

In 2021, Exxon’s net profits were more than $23 billion, Chevron reported profits of $15.6 billion, BP netted its highest profits in eight years at $12.8 billion, and Shell brought in $21.1 billion. The fossil fuel industry’s profits have only increased in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the past quarter, since the start of the Ukraine War, five major oil companies raked in $55 billion.

Despite reaping record profits, these companies have not taken the steps that scientists say are needed to prevent the worst climate impacts. Instead, they continue their greenwashing campaign by publicly supporting the Paris Agreement and claiming to be working towards a net-zero future, while issuing incomplete and misleading climate pledges and making inadequate investments in unproven energy sources and technologies.

At the same time, the climate crisis is growing more severe, with record heat waves, droughts, flooding, and other extreme weather harming Americans and people around the world.

The hearing is part of the Committee’s investigation into the fossil fuel industry’s long-running campaign to spread disinformation about climate change and greenwash its role in causing global warming.

At the Committee’s earlier hearing in October 2021, fossil fuel executives finally admitted under oath that burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change, which is an existential threat to our planet—but they refused to stop spending money to block climate action.

Earlier this year, the Committee invited five board members from Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and BP to testify at a hearing about the companies’ climate pledges. They failed to appear. The Committee once again invited the board members to testify, but they once again declined to appear on the date requested.

Witnesses

Panel 1

• Kara Boyd, Baskerville, Virginia
• Thomas Joseph, Hoopa Valley Tribe, California
• Roishetta Ozane, Sulphur, Louisiana
• Mary Cromer, Whitesburg, Kentucky

Panel 2

• Isabella M. Weber, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Raya Salter, Esq., Founder and Executive Director, Energy Justice Law and Policy Center, Member, New York State Climate Action Council
• J. Mijin Cha, Ph.D., J.D., Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy, Occidental College, Fellow, Cornell University Worker Institute

Markup page

Measures:

• H.R. 8446, Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022
• H.R. 2374, Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act
• H. Res. 1240, Requesting the President, and directing the Secretary of State, to transmit to the House of Representatives copies of all documents in their possession referring or relating to certain aspects of the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• H. Res. 1266, Requesting the President to transmit certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to any initiative or negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
• H. Res. -, Reaffirming the importance of diplomacy and development in United States–African Union relations, promoting strategic partnerships and shared objectives between the United States and the African Union, and expressing strong support for the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
• H.R. 4213, YSEALI Act
• H.R. 8681, John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act
• H.R. 8153, Indo-Pacific Engagement Act

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, Chair

On Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 1:00 p.m ET, in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building and via Cisco WebEx, the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States (SCIP) will hold a hybrid legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 6032(Rep. Jared Huffman, D-CA), To take certain Federal lands located in Siskiyou County, California, and Humboldt County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe, and for other purposes. Katimiîn and Ameekyáaraam Sacred Lands Act.
• H.R. 6964(Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-WA), To authorize leases of up to 99 years for lands held in trust for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
• H.R. 7581[Discussion Draft ANS to H.R. 7581 – attached] (Rep. Jared Huffman, D-CA), To recognize tribal cooperation in the environmental review of proposed actions affecting the revised Yurok Reservation, and for other purposes. Yurok Lands Act of 2022.
• H.R. 8115(Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-CA), To amend the Recreation and Public Purposes Act to authorize sales and leases of certain Federal land to federally recognized Indian Tribes, and for other purposes. Recreation and Public Purposes Tribal Parity Act.
• H.R. 8286(Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-WA), To take certain Federal land in the State of Washington into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 8380(Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García, D-IL), To provide for the settlement of claims relating to the Shab-eh-nay Band Reservation in Illinois, and for other purposes. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Shab-eh-nay Band Reservation Settlement Act of 2022.
• H.R. 8387(Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-WA), To amend the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act to provide for advancements in public safety services to Indian communities, and for other purposes. Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act.

Witnesses

Panel I: Congressional Panel

• Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Illinois, 4th District
• Rep. Derek Kilmer, Washington, 6th District
• Rep. Jared Huffman, California, 2nd District
• Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Washington, 10th District

Panel II: Tribal Leader Panel

• Russell Attebery (H.R. 6032), Chairman, Karuk Tribe
• Harry Pickernell, Sr. (H.R. 6964), Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation
• Joe James (H.R. 7581), Chairman, Yurok Tribe
• Frances Charles (H.R. 8286), Chairwoman, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
• Joseph Rupnick (H.R. 8380), Chairman, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
• Arain Hart (H.R. 8115), Chairman, Susanville Indian Rancheria
• Jarred-Michael Erickson (H.R. 8387), Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

Hearing page

Rep. Joe Neguse, Chair

On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. ET, in Longworth 1334 and via Cisco WebEx online conferencing, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands (NPFPL) will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 8108(Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-AZ), To protect Native cultural sites located on Federal land, to improve consultation with Indian Tribes, to bring parity to Indian Tribes with regard to Federal public land management laws, and for other purposes. Advancing Tribal Parity on Public Land Act.
• H.R. 8109(Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-AZ), To establish the Tribal Cultural Areas System, and for other purposes. Tribal Cultural Areas Protection Act.
• H.R. 8719(Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-AZ), To establish the Great Bend of the Gila National Conservation Area in the State of Arizona, and for other purposes. Great Bend of the Gila Conservation Act.

The hearing for these three bills was recently announced in conjunction with a letter that Chair Grijalva and 42 other members of Congress sent to President Joe Biden asking him to seek opportunities to expand tribal co-management of U.S. public lands, waters, and resources.

Witnesses

Panel I: Congressional Panel

• Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Arizona, 3rd District

Panel II: Administration Panel

• Witness TBA

Panel III: Expert Witness Panel

• Tina Marie Osceola (All bills), Director, Tribal Historic Preservation Office, Seminole Tribe of Florida
• Fawn Sharp (All bills), President, National Congress of American Indians
• Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis (All bills), Governor, Gila River Indian Community
• Minority Witness TBA

On Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Subcommittee Oversight & Investigations will hold a hybrid oversight hearing titled, “The Role of Public Relations Firms in Preventing Action on Climate Change.”

Rep. Katie Porter, Chair

For decades, the fossil fuel industry publicly denied climate change, despite privately acknowledging the scientific evidence and knowing the harm their operations caused. As the reality of the climate crisis has become more widely accepted, the industry’s disinformation messaging and tactics have become more subtle and sophisticated. Fossil fuel companies now outsource much of this work to public relations (PR) firms, who use a wide array of meticulously designed strategies to delay or prevent action and change public perceptions of the issue. Viewed collectively, evidence strongly suggests industry’s advertising, lobbying, and other influence work has played a significant role in hindering legislative action to address climate change.

The Natural Resources Committee is investigating this critical—yet often overlooked—role that PR firms play in helping industry spread climate disinformation and obstruct solutions to the crisis. The Committee’s investigation on the topic is ongoing; this hearing will examine some of the Committee’s findings thus far. Of note, PR firms Singer Associates, Story Partners, and Pac/West Communications were invited but refused to attend.

Witnesses

• Anne Lee Foster, Former Director of Communication and Community Engagement, Colorado Rising (Testifying on her own behalf)
• Christine Arena, Founder and CEO, Generous Ventures, Inc.
• Dr. Melissa Aronczyk, Associate Professor, School of Communications & Information, Rutgers University
• Minority Witness TBA

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an Executive Session on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 10 a.m. EDT to consider the following piece of legislation:

• S. XXXX, Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022

The legislation calls for updated oil spill planning, a new Arctic Security Cutter and new studies on Arctic operations, a study on the “impacts on shipping and commercial, tribal, and recreational fisheries from the development of renewable energy on the West Coast,” and “a grant program to provide assistance to eligible entities to develop and implement mitigation measures that will lead to a quantifiable reduction in threats to marine mammals from shipping activities and port operations.”

Hearing page

From 2005 to 2008, Bhatt served as deputy executive director of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. From 2009 to 2011, he served as associate administrator for policy and government affairs for the Federal Highway Administration. From 2011 to 2014, he was the secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation. From 2014 to 2017, he served as executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation. From 2017 to 2021, he was the president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Systems America, a transportation lobbying organization. He joined AECOM, an engineering firm, as senior vice president for global transportation innovation and alternative delivery in 2021.

On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. ET, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, will hold a hybrid hearing to examine how the fossil fuel industry is weaponizing the law to stifle First Amendment protected speech and stymie efforts to combat climate change by abusing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participations (SLAPPs) and anti-protest laws.

Since the 1980s, SLAPPs have been used by powerful entities and individuals to silence critics through costly, lengthy, and often meritless litigation. These lawsuits have recently been employed by the fossil fuel industry to target environmental activists and non-profits by claiming defamation, trespass, and even racketeering to deter them from speaking out against proposed fossil fuel pipelines and other projects that contribute to climate change.

In response to increased protest activity surrounding fossil fuel pipelines, 17 states have enacted anti-protest laws as of June 2022, labeling them “critical infrastructure protection laws.” These laws are selectively enacted and enforced to target environmental activists and protect corporate interests.

The fossil fuel industry’s use of SLAPPs and support for anti-protest laws not only stifles free speech, but also serves as another form of disinformation about climate change. After years of spreading denial and disinformation, fossil fuel companies now acknowledge the existence of climate change but are attempting to ensure their greenwashing narrative dominates by silencing opposing views.

WITNESSES

• Prof. Anita Ramasastry, Henry M. Jackson Professor of Law, University of Washington School of Law
• Elly Page, Senior Legal Advisor, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
• Deepa Padmanabha, Deputy General Counsel, Greenpeace USA
• Anne White Hat, Sicangu Lakota, L’eau Est La Vie Camp

Hearing page

Witnesses:

• Jeff Moyer, Chief Executive Officer, Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA
• Steve Nygren, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Serenbe, Chattahoochee Hills, GA
• Ken McCarty, Partner, McCarty Family Farms, Colby, KS
• Rick Clark, Owner, Farm Green & Clark Land and Cattle, on behalf of Regenerate America, Williamsport, IN
• Dr. Rebecca Larson, Ph.D., Vice President, Chief Scientist and Government Affairs, Western Sugar Cooperative, Denver, CO