In ‘Special Interest Giveaway’ Senate Republicans Kill Anti-Corruption Rule

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:55 pm

The Senate voted today 52-47 along party lines to kill a SEC rule that required energy companies (that’s oil, gas and mining) to disclose their payments to U.S. and foreign governments. The rule was meant to fight corruption and had bipartisan support. However, Trump’s acting SEC chair Michael Piwowar called the rule “misguided” on Tuesday.

Elizabeth Warren yesterday criticized Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson’s lobbying against the rule, saying,

“[A] handful of powerful oil and gas companies have been after this requirement from the start — and Exxon is at the top of that list.”

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Now, however, Tillerson has had his way. The Republicans reign supreme in Washington and to no one’s surprise, corruption reigns supreme.

Senator Charles E. Schumer released the following statement in response:

“One of the top priorities of President Trump and the Republican Congress was to allow oil and gas companies to cover up payments and bribes to foreign dictators – something Secretary Tillerson has lobbied for years. It’s beyond outrageous and exactly the type of special interest giveaway the American people resent. If the President is actually serious about fighting corruption in Washington and draining the swamp he will show some courage and veto this bill immediately.”

Of course, Donald Trump never intended to drain the swamp and his every action has had the opposite effect, with corruption piling on corruption. The basic complaint of oil companies has been that they’re put at a competitive disadvantage if they can’t freely bribe governments like their overseas competitors.

Donald Trump is certain to sign the resolution as President Obama’s regulatory legacy of defending the American people from corrupt corporations takes another hit.

Hrafnkell Haraldsson

Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen’s Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.