BIG OIL from the Cabinet Act
The BIG OIL from the Cabinet Act would bar people who previously worked as executives in fossil fuel companies or who lobbied for fossil fuel interests from being appointed to (or serving in acting capacity for) a wide range of the highest government leadership positions. Specifically, it imposes a 10-year cooling-off period for those individuals before they can hold “covered department head” or “covered political appointee” roles, and it would prohibit them from serving in acting capacity in those roles during that period. The bill defines who counts as a “fossil fuel executive,” “fossil fuel lobbyist,” and related terms, and it lists which government posts fall under the restriction. The intent is to reduce potential conflicts of interest and limit the revolving door between the fossil fuel industry and the executive branch. The bill is titled the “Banning In Government Oil Industry Lobbyists from the Cabinet Act” (BIG OIL from the Cabinet Act) and targets senior leadership positions across the White House and major federal departments and agencies, including energy, environment, defense, State, and several regulatory and science offices.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition scope: No person who has served as a fossil fuel executive officer or as a fossil fuel lobbyist, or as an executive officer of a fossil fuel trade association, may be appointed to or serve in an acting capacity as a covered department head or covered political appointee for 10 years after their relevant service.
- 2Covered department heads: The bill defines a broad list of senior leadership roles that would be subject to the ban, including:
- 3- White House: Chief of Staff to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President
- 4- Executive Office: Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality; Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; Executive Director of the U.S. Global Change Research Program
- 5- Cabinet and major agencies: Secretary or Administrator roles for Energy, NOAA, NASA, State, Defense, EPA, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, and several safety/regulatory offices (e.g., FERC, PHMSA, NHTSA Deputy Administrator)
- 6Covered political appointees: The bill covers political appointees at the Interior, EPA, Energy, FERC, NOAA, CEQ, OSTP, OMB, and State.
- 7Definitions (key terms):
- 8- Fossil fuel: natural gas, coal, oil, gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel
- 9- Fossil fuel entity: an entity whose business is fossil fuel extraction/production
- 10- Fossil fuel lobbyist: a registered or registrable lobbyist who principally lobbies for at least one fossil fuel entity or trade association and on issues related to extraction/production
- 11- Fossil fuel trade association: a trade association that principally represents fossil fuel entities on extraction/production issues
- 12- Executive officer: includes the president, principal officers, or other policy-making officers, including executives of subsidiaries; excludes employees of fossil fuel entities working in renewables (wind, solar, etc.)
- 13Acting capacity restriction: The ban also applies to individuals serving in an acting capacity in the restricted roles during the 10-year period.
- 14Purpose and aim: To reduce potential conflicts of interest and the influence of fossil fuel interests on the leadership of major federal departments and agencies by preventing a rapid industry-to-government transition at the top levels.