Danger!
Republicans Want to Put Big Oil Above the Law

On April 17th, 2026, Republicans in Congress introduced sweeping legislation in the House and Senate to give Big Oil immunity and effectively put the industry above the law.

The Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026:

• Prohibits retroactive climate liability lawsuits and other proceedings to implement or enforce an energy penalty law.

• Dismisses pending lawsuits and proceedings on the date of the bill’s enactment.

• Voids state energy penalty laws.

• Affirms that the Federal government maintains the exclusive authority and jurisdiction to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and other interstate environmental standards.

https://hageman.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-hageman-introduces-bill-shield-american-energy-producers-leftist-climate

If passed, the proposed law would stop actions by state and local jurisdictions from suing oil companies for costs incurred from climate disasters. Eleven U.S. states — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai`i, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont — and the District of Columbia, along with dozens of city, county, and tribal governments in California, Colorado, Hawai`i, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Puerto Rico, have active lawsuits to hold major oil and gas companies accountable for deceiving the public about their products’ roles in climate change. These cases collectively represent more than 1 in 4 people living in the United States.

https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/breaking-federal-bill-would-put-big-oil-above-the-law