This is Lynn Jenkins, she does not represent us
Anyone remember when we were captivated by the un-natural disaster of British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon? That was once the oil rig, with safety features disengaged, that blew apart, killing workers, and spewing millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Do you remember it now?
That's good, because apparently Lynn Jenkins has forgotten. Lynn Jenkins who likes to claim that she's for "all of the above" in energy policy includes corporate malfeasance in that list of answers to our energy needs.
H.R. 5851, the Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act of 2010 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 315 to 93, roll call vote 506 on July 30th. Lynn Jenkins was among those stalwarts of Big Oil voting against this measure.
H.R. 5851 prohibits employers from discharging, discriminating against, or engaging in retaliatory actions against specified employees reporting any violation or unsafe condition under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to the government. The oil companies can't attack their employees for testifying about such conditions. Nor can they take punitive measures if the employee reports an illness, injury, or unsafe condition related to the employer's activities to the employer or a state or federal government official. The same whistleblower protections apply if the employee refuses to perform duties, or exercises stop work authority, based upon a good faith belief that performing such duties could result in injury to or impairment of the health of the covered employee or other employees, or cause an oil spill to the environment; or objects to, or refuses to participate in any activity, policy, practice, or assigned task that the employee reasonably believed to be in violation of such the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
It is clear that a majority of the House understood what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. So why did Lynn Jenkins vote with Big Oil? Maybe it has something to do with that revolving door from public sector work to the lucrative private sector. It seems that someone or some folk over at the United States Environmental Protection Agency gave Lynn Jenkins $4,700 according to OpenSecrets.org at the Center for Responsive Politics, http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cid=N00029077&cycle=2010&type=I&newMem=N&recs=100.
While it is not common for employees of the EPA to donate to political campaigns, neither is it an unheard practice. Employees of the EPA have donated $2,400 to Republican candidate Sean R. Bielat in this year's race for Massachusetts' Fourth Congressional District. Deforest (Buster) Sories the 2002 Republican candidate for New Jerseys' Twelfth Congressional District took $5,700 from folks at the EPA.
Michigan's Democratic Representative Sander Levin took $2,000 from someone at the EPA in his 2004 race. That was long before he held the gavel at Ways and Means. Georgia's Republican Representative Charles R. Norwood also took money with an EPA connection in 2004. He got $2,000. The Center for Responsive Politics also lists the U.S. Government as giving his campaign $3,000! What's that all about? See, http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cid=N00002630&cycle=2004&type=I&newMem=N&recs=100.
In 2006 it was Wisconsin Democrat Ron Kind who received $2,000 from a person working at the EPA. That year Colorado, then Republican Representative, now American Constitution Party candidate for Colorado Governor, Tom Tancredo took $1,500.
In 2008 the honor went to Virginia's Democratic Senator Jim Webb, who received $5,000.
Civil Servants do not lose their First Amendment Rights when they become public sector employees. It would be wrong to impugn illicit motive to those at the EPA who gave money to politicians. It would be stupid not to follow the track from public sector donor to Big Oil's high paid executive status. If there is a connection it should be provable and prosecutable.
In the meantime, Lynn Jenkins' vote on H.R. 5861 has to be viewed in light of the Oil & Gas Industry's payments to her campaign of $46,800. See OpenSecrets.org, http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/industries.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00029077&type=I. That's for this year's race. Lynn Jenkins is at the end of her first term and the Oil & Gas cumulative total is $109,550.
Cheryl Hudspeth refuses to take a cent of corporate cash. Lynn Jenkins is wallowing in the stuff, and she votes like it too!
Either it is Lynn Jenkins short memory, or the massive infusion of special interest money that drives her vote on H.R. 3534, the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009. Always remember and never forget the cozy relationship between the Minerals Management Services (MMS) and the Oil and Gas Management program both of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
According to The Hill's Ben Geman, Acting Inspector General (IG) Mary Kendall's office is conducting an investigation into the actions of MMS officials focused on their inspection and approval of the Deepwater Horizon . In May, Kendall released a report that found that MMS regulators in Louisiana were receiving gifts from oil and gas companies prior to 2007. A 2008 IG report uncovered a culture of substance abuse and promiscuity at MMS' Denver office.
H.R. 3534 takes these suspect agencies out of BLM and transfers them to a newly established Interior Department Office of Federal Energy and Minerals Leasing. Given the history of MMS under the BLM this is reasonable.
Big Oil was content to keep things the way they were. Lynn Jenkins is raking in a little more than $25,000 a year, so far, from the FAT CATS from BIG OIL & GAS. Lynn Jenkins was more than willing to forget the catastrophic results of the Deepwater Horizon. SPILL BABY SPILL! The vote was 209 to 193, on roll call vote 513 July 30th. Lynn Jenkins is against fixing that which is broken , she voted "no" on H.R. 3534. "no" on H.R. 3554. See, http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/99929-interior-ig-is-probing-federal-approval-deepwater-horizon-rig-operations.
Lynn Jenkins voted "no" on H.R. 3554 on roll call vote 513, July 30th.
Either it is Lynn Jenkins short memory, or the massive infusion of special interest money that drives her vote on H.R. 3534, the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009. Always remember and never forget the cozy relationship between the Minerals Management Services (MMS) and the Oil and Gas Management program both of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
According to The Hill's Ben Geman, Acting Inspector General (IG) Mary Kendall's office is conducting an investigation into the actions of MMS officials focused on their inspection and approval of the Deepwater Horizon . In May, Kendall released a report that found that MMS regulators in Louisiana were receiving gifts from oil and gas companies prior to 2007. A 2008 IG report uncovered a culture of substance abuse and promiscuity at MMS' Denver office.
H.R. 3534 takes these suspect agencies out of BLM and transfers them to a newly established Interior Department Office of Federal Energy and Minerals Leasing. Given the history of MMS under the BLM this is reasonable.
Big Oil was content to keep things the way they were. Lynn Jenkins is raking in a little more than $25,000 a year, so far, from the FAT CATS from BIG OIL & GAS. Lynn Jenkins was more than willing to forget the catastrophic results of the Deepwater Horizon. SPILL BABY SPILL! The vote was 209 to 193, on roll call vote 513 July 30th. Lynn Jenkins is against fixing that which is broken , she voted "no" on H.R. 3534. "no" on H.R. 3554. See, http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/99929-interior-ig-is-probing-federal-approval-deepwater-horizon-rig-operations.
Lynn Jenkins voted "no" on H.R. 3554 on roll call vote 513, July 30th.
