By Jeffrey ErnstFriedman
Last week, the head of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, delivered a message to President Obama: approve the Keystone XL pipeline or face "huge political consequences." As the president of an energy trade association that bills itself as the only national trade association representing all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry, Gerard could possess the clout to make good on his threat. In a recent two-year time frame, contributions to current members of the House of Representatives from individuals and PACs connected to the Oil & Gas industry have totaled nearly $12 million.
The decision on the Keystone pipeline has placed the White House between high-contributing environmental policy groups that oppose the creation of the pipeline and sagging poll numbers tied to a troubled economy that would benefit from the creation of new construction projects.
As of now, House Republicans have only been successful in forcing a decision, but not in determining the outcome. On July 26, 2011 the House of Representatives passed HR 1938, a bill that would direct the President to expedite the consideration and approval of the construction and operation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, but the measure died in the Senate. However, as part of the payroll tax package signed into law, the White House will ultimately be required to make a decision on whether to approve the pipeline by Feb. 21, 2012. In the event that anyone forgets how long the President has had since the clock started ticking, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has provided one.
- Of the 118 House members who have the Oil & Gas Industry amongst their top 10 contributing industry groups, only two representatives (Edward Markey and Charles Bass) voted against the deadline on the Keystone pipeline decision imposed in HR 1938.
- Amongst the 195 House members who have the Oil & Gas industry amongst their top 20 contributing interest groups, only 10 voted against the deadline imposed in HR 1938.
Click here to download a spreadsheet with contributions from Oil & Gas to all current members of the House of Representatives (July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2011) and Senate (July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2011). The spreadsheet also includes contributions connected to Environmental protection interest groups.
| Rank of Oil & Gas as a Contributing Interest Group | Name | Vote on HR 1938 | Total (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2011) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Rep. Steven Pearce [R, NM-2] | AYE | $370,020 |
| Rep. Mike Pompeo [R, KS-4] | AYE | $333,156 | |
| Rep. Bill Flores [R, TX-17] | AYE | $266,184 | |
| Rep. Cory Gardner [R, CO-4] | AYE | $205,124 | |
| Rep. Dan Boren [D, OK-2] | AYE | $201,800 | |
| Rep. John Sullivan [R, OK-1] | AYE | $179,200 | |
| Rep. Jeff Landry [R, LA-3] | AYE | $176,050 | |
| Rep. Tim Griffin [R, AR-2] | AYE | $164,709 | |
| Rep. James Lankford [R, OK-5] | AYE | $156,760 | |
| Rep. Rick Berg [R, ND-0] | AYE | $151,561 | |
| Rep. Michael Conaway [R, TX-11] | AYE | $136,850 | |
| Rep. Tim Murphy [R, PA-18] | AYE | $133,700 | |
| Rep. Dennis Rehberg [R, MT-0] | AYE | $133,152 | |
| Rep. Steve Scalise [R, LA-1] | AYE | $125,335 | |
| Rep. Francisco Canseco [R, TX-23] | AYE | $121,767 | |
| Rep. Pete Olson [R, TX-22] | AYE | $106,400 | |
| Rep. Tom Cole [R, OK-4] | AYE | $103,400 | |
| Rep. Cynthia Lummis [R, WY-0] | AYE | $97,750 | |
| Rep. Doc Hastings [R, WA-4] | AYE | $97,171 | |
| Rep. Kevin Brady [R, TX-8] | AYE | $94,900 | |
| Rep. John Culberson [R, TX-7] | AYE | $91,550 | |
| Rep. Kay Granger [R, TX-12] | AYE | $79,850 | |
| Rep. Ted Poe [R, TX-2] | AYE | $79,700 | |
| Rep. Glenn Thompson [R, PA-5] | AYE | $73,600 | |
| Rep. William Thornberry [R, TX-13] | AYE | $68,425 | |
| Rep. Blake Farenthold [R, TX-27] | AYE | $67,600 | |
| Rep. Mike Coffman [R, CO-6] | AYE | $61,250 | |
| Rep. Ralph Hall [R, TX-4] | AYE | $55,208 | |
| Rep. Doug Lamborn [R, CO-5] | AYE | $39,750 | |
| Rep. Rob Bishop [R, UT-1] | AYE | $21,750 | |
| 2nd | Rep. John Fleming [R, LA-4] | AYE | $203,400 |
| Rep. Mike Ross [D, AR-4] | AYE | $141,450 | |
| Rep. Bob Gibbs [R, OH-18] | AYE | $78,800 | |
| Rep. Bill Cassidy [R, LA-6] | AYE | $77,000 | |
| Rep. Scott Tipton [R, CO-3] | AYE | $66,250 | |
| Rep. Gregg Harper [R, MS-3] | AYE | $54,250 | |
| Rep. Todd Platts [R, PA-19] | AYE | $6,400 | |
| 3rd | Rep. Joe Barton [R, TX-6] | AYE | $137,270 |
| Rep. Charles Boustany [R, LA-7] | AYE | $126,050 | |
| Rep. Stephen Fincher [R, TN-8] | AYE | $98,050 | |
| Rep. Jim Matheson [D, UT-2] | AYE | $90,550 | |
| Rep. Jim Costa [D, CA-20] | AYE | $79,650 | |
| Rep. Lynn Jenkins [R, KS-2] | AYE | $73,250 | |
| Rep. Tim Huelskamp [R, KS-1] | AYE | $64,846 | |
| Rep. Michael McCaul [R, TX-10] | AYE | $63,850 | |
| Rep. Raymond Green [D, TX-29] | AYE | $62,700 | |
| Rep. Michael Burgess [R, TX-26] | AYE | $62,150 | |
| Rep. Dan Benishek [R, MI-1] | AYE | $47,750 | |
| Rep. Louis Gohmert [R, TX-1] | AYE | $43,150 | |
| Rep. Lou Barletta [R, PA-11] | AYE | $40,525 | |
| Rep. Morgan Griffith [R, VA-9] | AYE | $35,150 | |
| Rep. Tom McClintock [R, CA-4] | AYE | $18,600 | |
| 4th | Rep. Frederick Upton [R, MI-6] | AYE | $120,700 |
| Rep. Marsha Blackburn [R, TN-7] | AYE | $82,750 | |
| Rep. John Barrow [D, GA-12] | AYE | $80,300 | |
| Rep. John Shimkus [R, IL-19] | AYE | $80,250 | |
| Rep. Frank Lucas [R, OK-3] | AYE | $77,250 | |
| Rep. Alan Nunnelee [R, MS-1] | AYE | $74,550 | |
| Rep. David McKinley [R, WV-1] | AYE | $62,250 | |
| Rep. Daniel Lungren [R, CA-3] | AYE | $61,700 | |
| Rep. Edward Whitfield [R, KY-1] | AYE | $55,500 | |
| Rep. Darrell Issa [R, CA-49] | AYE | $54,500 | |
| Rep. Rick Crawford [R, AR-1] | AYE | $38,922 | |
| Rep. Paul Broun [R, GA-10] | AYE | $28,700 | |
| 5th | Rep. Kevin McCarthy [R, CA-22] | AYE | $156,100 |
| Rep. Rodney Alexander [R, LA-5] | AYE | $64,146 | |
| Rep. Todd Young [R, IN-9] | AYE | $47,150 | |
| Rep. William Shuster [R, PA-9] | AYE | $46,250 | |
| Rep. Donald Young [R, AK-0] | AYE | $37,550 | |
| Rep. Bill Johnson [R, OH-6] | AYE | $16,750 | |
| 6th | Rep. Peter Sessions [R, TX-32] | AYE | $90,950 |
| Rep. Mike Pence [R, IN-6] | AYE | $68,400 | |
| Rep. Shelley Capito [R, WV-2] | AYE | $60,750 | |
| Rep. Lee Terry [R, NE-2] | AYE | $58,150 | |
| Rep. Devin Nunes [R, CA-21] | AYE | $50,250 | |
| Rep. Adam Kinzinger [R, IL-11] | AYE | $45,400 | |
| Rep. Geoff Davis [R, KY-4] | AYE | $42,750 | |
| Rep. John Carter [R, TX-31] | NV | $40,050 | |
| Rep. Larry Bucshon [R, IN-8] | AYE | $30,200 | |
| 7th | Rep. Kevin Yoder [R, KS-3] | AYE | $79,550 |
| Rep. Lamar Smith [R, TX-21] | AYE | $56,000 | |
| Rep. Randy Neugebauer [R, TX-19] | AYE | $47,200 | |
| Rep. Joe Heck [R, NV-3] | AYE | $41,500 | |
| Rep. Diane Black [R, TN-6] | AYE | $40,550 | |
| Rep. Charles Gonzalez [D, TX-20] | AYE | $31,250 | |
| Rep. Michael Simpson [R, ID-2] | AYE | $31,200 | |
| Rep. Jeff Duncan [R, SC-3] | AYE | $25,000 | |
| Rep. Kenny Marchant [R, TX-24] | AYE | $23,900 | |
| Rep. Steve Womack [R, AR-3] | AYE | $20,219 | |
| Rep. Mike Kelly [R, PA-3] | AYE | $18,750 | |
| 8th | Rep. Greg Walden [R, OR-2] | AYE | $78,100 |
| Rep. Jeb Hensarling [R, TX-5] | AYE | $72,300 | |
| Rep. Charles Dent [R, PA-15] | AYE | $56,950 | |
| Rep. Timothy Walberg [R, MI-7] | AYE | $38,150 | |
| Rep. Brett Guthrie [R, KY-2] | AYE | $28,400 | |
| Rep. Al Green [D, TX-9] | AYE | $16,900 | |
| 9th | Rep. Michele Bachmann [R, MN-6] | NV | $78,420 |
| Rep. Scott Garrett [R, NJ-5] | AYE | $42,400 | |
| Rep. Spencer Bachus [R, AL-6] | AYE | $42,000 | |
| Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R, WA-5] | AYE | $36,850 | |
| Rep. Steven Chabot [R, OH-1] | AYE | $36,700 | |
| Rep. Tom Reed [R, NY-29] | AYE | $32,250 | |
| Rep. John Gingrey [R, GA-11] | AYE | $27,500 | |
| Rep. Samuel Johnson [R, TX-3] | AYE | $26,100 | |
| Rep. Joseph Pitts [R, PA-16] | AYE | $25,000 | |
| Rep. Sue Myrick [R, NC-9] | AYE | $24,500 | |
| Rep. Trey Gowdy [R, SC-4] | AYE | $18,250 | |
| 10th | Rep. Eric Cantor [R, VA-7] | AYE | $144,650 |
| Rep. Paul Ryan [R, WI-1] | AYE | $57,000 | |
| Rep. Kristi Noem [R, SD-0] | AYE | $50,900 | |
| Rep. Jeff Denham [R, CA-19] | AYE | $33,900 | |
| Rep. Edward Markey [D, MA-7] | NOE | $32,250 | |
| Rep. Vicky Hartzler [R, MO-4] | AYE | $30,600 | |
| Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler [R, WA-3] | AYE | $29,600 | |
| Rep. Charles Bass [R, NH-2] | NOE | $28,850 | |
| Rep. Henry Cuellar [D, TX-28] | AYE | $26,300 | |
| Rep. Jason Chaffetz [R, UT-3] | AYE | $26,000 | |
| Rep. Tom Graves [R, GA-9] | AYE | $25,500 |
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