The US administration turns our country into a big ‘ol payday for the fossil fuel industry, on the taxpayers’ dime
By Brenna Yellow Thunder:
The world is starting to feel power-hungry and dangerous. War and concentration camps run rampant, and with a tyrant in charge, times are apocalyptic. Post-apocalyptic, for a while. If you have been asking “What can I do?” then this is a good place to start.
This administration is sloppy and overconfident, crowing about its “success” from the rooftops. We can use that against them if we listen closely and parse through the BS. This is a follow-up to our “Executive Order” webinar series, where we are hearing from tribal leaders and organizers about how these have rolled out on the ground. Now we’re back with a deeper dive, as we follow the money in their latest scheme: Trump’s Big Bad Bill.
The Big Bad Bill will affect everyone on Turtle Island, but we want to prepare our Indigenous communities for what is coming rapidly our way. First, what social programs and funding are they taking from us?
If you’ve ever been to Indian Health Services (IHS), you know that it is chronically underfunded. Like the rest of us, we regularly depend on them for everything from dentist appointments to annual vaccinations for our kids. Especially if you live somewhere remote (like most do on the rez), this might be one of the most accessible sources of healthcare.
Well with the new bill, there are new cuts to funding, Medicaid being one of the top areas. Since 70% of IHS reimbursements come from Medicaid, this specific budget cut severely weakens the services promised to us through treaties. Not only will our non-Native allies suffer from slashed Medicaid services, but we as citizens of Tribal Nations will as well.
Not to mention the cut to clean energy tax credits and other programs. While we at IEN have our analysis of the shortcomings of the IRA (read our analysis here), tribes that stood to gain economic development and access to electricity were not consulted on this pull in funding for the Tribal Energy Financing program. This sets a dangerous precedent for an already precarious relationship with our Tribal Sovereign Nations and the US government. If they pull this much funding from us without consulting us, what are they aiming for next?
Billionaires buy access to Trump and key agency staff at our expense, but the loyalty that money buys will not last. We, as a growing majority across Turtle Island, already realize the true cost: our homelands are turning into a dying and dangerous resource colony.
The nearly 1,000-page Bill lays out in clear terms who will profit, and at whose expense. Which billionaire CEOs stand to gain the most, and what violence is going to be inflicted on the land and the people?
For starters, there are $18 billion in tax giveaways for Oil and Gas giants who participate in false solutions of carbon capture, a straight-up ouroboros scheme that would make money for fossil fuel companies as long as they continue to emit more carbon. So while we suffer in cuts to our social programs for health and higher education (like the Institute for American Indian Arts), that money goes to a corporate tax break, the “bonus depreciation”; mind you, this is a tax break that Big Oil and Tech lobbyists have been gunning for hard in the past, and the senate just handed it to them on a silver plate.
Additionally, there are mandates to continue oil and gas leasing, as outlined in Section 50101. ONSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASING:
(b) Requirement to Immediately Resume Onshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales.–
Even going so far as to point out 9 specific states, with a restriction of NO LESS than 4 oil and gas lease sales A YEAR:
Each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a minimum of 4 oil and gas lease sales of available land in each of the following States:
Now, what do these 9 states have in common? That’s right, a large population of tribes, who have been protecting their sacred sites and fighting to keep greedy companies off their lands. Whether it’s Westwin Resistance in Alaska or the Standing Rock Sioux in North Dakota, some major battles are happening in Indian Country. And the Big Bad Bill just put a huge target on their backs. These are just the (mostly) landlocked states, to say nothing of the ocean.
A whole section is set aside for the ocean in Sec. 50102 Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing. In this section, they identify 30 regional oil and gas lease sales IN ADDITION TO the national outer continental shelf.
(a) Lease Sales.–
(1) Gulf of Mexico region.–
(A) In general.–Notwithstanding the 2024-2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (and any successor leasing program that does not satisfy the requirements of this section).
In addition to lease sales, which may be held under that program, and except within areas subject to existing oil and gas leasing moratoria, the Secretary of the
Interior shall conduct a minimum of 30 region-wide oil and gas lease sales…
The Gulf of Mexico– sorry, the Gulf of “America,” is already fighting for its life with heatwaves and pollution, not to mention ICE raids, and now the Big Bad Bill is requiring tons of drilling.
Speaking of, there is so much violence committed on the land, but we as Indigenous people know we are the land, and the land is us. There is so much more awful violence planned against black and brown bodies across Mother Earth within the Bid Bad Bill. A blatant target outline in the SEC. 20011 – $1 billion to send the military to the border. Add up the billions for the tax scams for the rich, corps, ICE, and we are looking at almost $10 billion to commit violations to our human rights.
We cannot forget that we as members of sovereign Tribal Nations, are still at risk of harm at the hands of ICE. Just this year, we have seen tribal members in Arizona and New Mexico harassed by ICE. For those of us from the SW, we know that if the border hadn’t moved south, we would have been considered “illegal” as well. As we like to say, “the border moved, not us.” This isn’t even getting into the politics of tribes like the Yaqui, and how the “wall” that was supposed to be built in Trump’’s first run in office bulldozed right through sacred lands. Our status as citizens of any country or tribal nation doesn’t matter to ICE, or this administration. If we are in the way of them making money, we will be targeted. Here’s how we fight back.
Sign up to co-sponsor the petition by filling out this form. The petition is already co-sponsored by STMP, Rainforest Action Network, Stand.earth, Hip Hop Caucus, the Gulf South Fossil Finance Hub and more – so you’ll be in good company! You can view the petition here & promote it using this amplification toolkit.
Even in this moment of huge political challenge, it’s critical big banks don’t get to simply walk away from their climate targets without consequences. So, if you are able to, co-sponsor the petition and sign up to join the national day of action–and let’s hold Wells Fargo accountable this summer.
Right now, the Trump Administration is preparing to rewrite rules for LNG, which could weaken safety requirements and lead to more incidents. With your input, we can demand strong safety standards that prioritize community input, worker safety, and transparency of the risks associated with living near LNG export infrastructure.Send a comment to the Secretary and Acting Admin at PHMSA via Earthworks.
We heard from leaders in tribal communities to discuss Executive Order 14154- Unleashing American Energy impacts on tribal communities. This executive order dismantles and revokes previously established key environmental Executive Orders and policies. This is the second in a series on the Executive Orders; keep an eye out for a panel discussing developments in proposed destruction in Alaska.
You can also sign up for our monthly newsletter to hear about our next webinar about the target the Big Bad Bill painted on Alaska. We will also have more analyses on the Bill upcoming as well.
