Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) has been a huge supporter of both fracking and subsidies for Big Oil. At a town hall this weekend, some of his constituents took issue with his support for these dirty industries.
After defending the exemption of fracking from the Clean Water and Clean Air acts, one constituent asked him about the over $100,000 he’s gotten from the oil and gas industries. He responded that he has “no idea” where that money came from:
CONSTITUENT QUESTION: Do you think the fracking industry should remain exempt from the Clean Air and Drinking Water Acts? […]
REED: […] I am not a believer in expanding federal government, I believe we have to downsize federal government. What we’re on a path here by doing that I think is expanding government. […] I would defer to the state and defer to the local bodies on that.
(Audience hissing)
CONSTITUENT 1: Water and air are across state borders!
CONSTIUTENT 2: Where did your $126,000 from gas companies come from? Which lobbyists? Which companies besides Chesapeake and the other lobbyists?
REED: No idea. No idea. We don’t keep track of that. I don’t keep track of that.
Watch it:
Reed should know that he is actually legally required to “keep track of that” — and that it’s actually public information. The oil and gas industry was his third-largest donor in 2012. Here’s some of the biggest backers:
- Chesapeake Energy: $10,000 to Reed. Chesapeake, one of America’s largest fracking companies, has angered homeowners nationwide with its excessive use of legal maneuvers to gain access to land to drill on.
- National Fuel Gas Corporation:Ai??$10,000 to Reed. This fracking company is based in Western Pennsylvania and New York.
- America’s Natural Gas Alliance: $4,400 to Reed. This is one of the main advocacy coalitions for natural gas drillers pushing for fracking.
Oh man. Is this guy serious? Anyone who believes the garbage lies these oil companies are pushing on franking is being paid off. C’mon man. You can’t pump poisonous chemicals into the ground claiming it doesn’t affect ground water.