US House Refining Caucus formed

July 10, 2014
US Rep. Pete Olson (R-Tex.) announced the formation of the House Refining Caucus with 21 Republicans and 5 Democrats as members. The group’s goal is to educate House members about issues refiners face and related impacts on consumers, he said on July 9. US Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) is co-chairman.

US Rep. Pete Olson (R-Tex.) announced the formation of the House Refining Caucus with 21 Republicans and 5 Democrats as members. The group’s goal is to educate House members about issues refiners face and related impacts on consumers, he said on July 9. US Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) is co-chairman.

“Few people know how refineries work or how they operate or even where they are located,” Olson, who is on the Energy and Commerce Committee, said on July 9. “They rarely make headlines, but when they do, it is for the wrong reasons. Refineries are heavily regulated, highly taxed, and not appreciated. And yet they are there, a keystone of our economy.

“If a refinery shuts down for any reason, like a hurricane, the effects are immediate,” he maintained. “Nationally and locally, refineries are irreplaceable. That’s what this caucus is about—helping Congress better understand refineries…[and] how Washington impacts the downstream.”

Site visits and briefings will be among the caucus’s activities, Olson said.

Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].