Big Oil is already making record-shattering profits by taking advantage of billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies, hoarding thousands of unused leases on millions of acres of public lands, and price gouging working families at the pump. House Resolution 1 (H.R. 1) would pad fossil fuel executives’ pockets even more.
H.R. 1 rolls back reforms our Alliance have advocated for in the Inflation Reduction Act, including cutting back on the royalties on our publicly owned minerals and opening up loopholes for industry to tie up our public lands in speculative lease bids. The resolution rubber-stamps the construction of new natural gas pipelines while cutting out safety reviews. H.R. 1 would also force the Bureau of Land Management to hold oil and gas lease sales on public lands, even if they aren’t needed — giving our public lands away at cut-rate prices.
This “Polluters Over People Act” passed the House of Representatives but can be defeated in the Senate. The fate of our public lands cannot be allowed to rest in the hands of those who have consistently demonstrated their willingness to destroy them for profit. Please take a minute right now to tell Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet to put Colorado before the profits of oil and gas executives, and to protect our home from H.R. 1.
Brian joined Western Colorado Alliance as a community organizer in April 2020. With a professional background in elections and the court system, Brian specializes in working with our partners to shape oil and gas policy. Having grown up on the Western Slope, he is committed to working toward a strong, sustainable future for our community. Brian also volunteers with Mesa County Library’s literacy and pathway to citizenship programs. As an avid board game enthusiast, he enjoys opportunities to strategize and build winning coalitions. Brian received his bachelor's degree in political science from Colorado Mesa University, and his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs.