Big Oil’s favorite lawmakers demand royalty relief

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A letter published today from 12 Senate Republicans calls on Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to support the fossil fuel industry by using existing legal authority to “reduce or suspend” royalty payments.

Lukas Ross, senior policy analyst with Friends of the Earth, issued the following statement in response:

The coronavirus is an unprecedented national crisis, not a payday for polluters. We need resources for frontline workers and communities, not a bailout for the flailing fossil fuel industry. This callous behavior is begging for political backlash and the Senate Republicans leading this effort should be ashamed. Industry shill David Bernhardt should think twice before pushing royalty relief.

Expert contact: Lukas Ross, (202) 222-0724, [email protected]
Communications contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, [email protected]