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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Lydia Avila, Energy Action Coalition, 626-506-9651, Lydia@energyactioncoalition.org

Peter James Callahan, Democracy Spring, 315-430-6334peterjamescallahan@gmail.com

Jamie Pang, Center for Biological Diversity, 858-699-4153, jpang@biologicaldiversity.org  

Collin Rees, Oil Change International, 308-293-3159 or collin@priceofoil.org

Jon Fox, Friends of the Earth, 510-542-9474jfox@foe.org

Hundreds Protest the Dirty Fossil Fuel Money Cycle that Corrupts our Democracy

WASHINGTON

Hundreds will amass outside of the Capitol this Saturday, April 16th, to demand that our democracy be freed from the corruption of Big Oil, Big Gas, and Big Coal money in our political system. As the country's election year reaches full swing, Americans across all parties are demanding that Congress put an end to this dirty energy money cycle. Over 100 organizations and their members are converging to demand for all politicians and candidates to reject campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry, for transparency in campaign donations and fossil fuel subsidies; for fossil fuel production subsidies to be eliminated by 2020; and for all federal contractors to disclose their political expenditures.

The rally ties off a week-long series of rallies and sit ins put on by Democracy Spring. The campaign has been endorsed by over 100 social justice, environmental, and faith organizations. It is part of a rapidly growing national movement calling on Congress and President Obama to take drastic steps to take corporate money out of politics in lieu of the disastrous Citizens Unitedruling six years ago.

WHEN: Saturday, April 16th, 2016

WHERE: 11:30 AM Rally at Columbus Circle (in front of Union Station); 12:30 PM March to the US Capitol building and 1pm sit-in at the Capitol

VISUALS: Hundreds of protesters holding signs and props, citizens getting arrested at the Capitol's steps.

Background:

Since the Citizen's United decision in 2010, political contributions going directly to Congress from the oil and gas industry jumped from about $14 million to more than $25 million in 2014. In 2014 alone, the fossil fuel industry spent more than $150 million lobbying in DC to continue skirting environmental regulations. $12 million was spent in lobbying expenses from Exxon alone, a company that has known about climate change for decades but has continued to fund climate denying-politicians to ensure its own bottom line. This use of money has heavily influenced national policies and laws such as the lift of the 40 year old oil export ban in last years budget agreement and the auctioning of our public lands to oil leases, despite the overwhelming scientific consensus and strong public support for federal action on climate change.

Friends of the Earth fights for a more healthy and just world. Together we speak truth to power and expose those who endanger the health of people and the planet for corporate profit. We organize to build long-term political power and campaign to change the rules of our economic and political systems that create injustice and destroy nature.

(202) 783-7400