Trump has nominated climate denier and industry sellout Bernard McNamee to fill the vacant seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) – and the Senate is going to be considering this dirty, dangerous nomination in the next few days. On Nov. 27, McNamee's nomination passed through the Energy and Natural Resources Committee on a mostly party-line vote. The nomination now moves to the full Senate. We must raise our voices!
Trump wants to make McNamee, with his radical pro-fossil fuel agenda, one of five commissioners at FERC, the federal regulatory agency that issues permits for gas pipelines and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals. This nomination would tip the balance of the commission in favor of more fossil fuel lock-in – and we can’t let that happen.
In the coming year, FERC will decide on literally dozens of new gas pipelines, most of which are directly linked to LNG export terminals. These projects threaten our climate, the communities in their path, the air we breathe, and the water life depends on. Projects such as Jordan Cove LNG in Oregon, Rio Grande LNG in Texas, and the Alaska LNG Project that includes a massive 800-mile pipeline across the state could be decided by McNamee.
This man must not be allowed anywhere near fossil fuel infrastructure permitting. Amazingly, McNamee’s nomination is actually raising concerns from both sides of the political aisle, so there’s a real chance at stopping it. Right now, FERC has a tenuous 2-2 split amongst Democratic and Republican appointed commissioners, and McNamee would break that tie.
We have a real chance of stopping this nomination, but we’ll have to raise all of our voices. Join us today to demand that senators on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee vote NO on Bernard McNamee for FERC.