Steve Scalise’s Network of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Stand To Gain
http://www.republicreport.org/2014/steve-scalise-lobbyists/
Steve Scalises Network of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Stand To Gain
June 18, 2014
Posted at 3:23 pm by Lee Fang
Eric Cantors surprise defeat in the Republican primary, and subsequent decision to step down as Majority Leader, has set off a scramble within his party. Current Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is widely perceived as the next majority leader, while Reps. Peter Roskam (R-IL), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) are rounding up votes to take McCarthys place as whip.
Though there are negligible policy differences between the candidates, particularly on energy issues, one candidate is particularly close to the fossil fuel lobby: Steve Scalise, the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of likeminded conservative members, who represents an area of the Gulf Coast with a large concentration of offshore oil jobs.
A number of former Scalise staffers are now employed as lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry. Megan Bel, Scalises former legislative director, now works for the National Ocean Industries Association, a trade group for offshore oil drilling companies. Stephen Bell, Scalises longtime spokesperson, joined the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association a group that represents largely coal-fire power plants and has lobbied aggressively against the EPAs new carbon rules in April.
Scalise has cultivated political support from Koch Industries, the American Petroleum Institute, and Halliburton as part of the Republican Study Committees business outreach effort, according to a report in Politico. Notably, a Republican Study Committee outreach meeting with lobbyists occurred in the office of Shockey Scofield Solutions, Kochs lobbying firm registered to defeat new carbon tax proposals.