Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle hold lucrative investments in the energy sector, totaling $33.69 million according to Capitol Trades.

This raises the question of whether Big Oil holdings will influence the votes of members of Congress when it comes to authorizing military operations in Venezuela. Will they set their financial interests aside and act in the interests of the American people? We are watching closely and will hold Congress members accountable based on how they vote.

Below, Common Cause compiled which members of Congress have the largest personal investment in Big Oil. Scroll below to see if your senator or representative is on the list.  

Top 10 Members of Congress with the Largest Personal Investment in Big Oil 

10. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL)

Total: $577k 

9. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI)

Total: $584k

8. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX)

Total: $639K

7. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)

Total: $701k

6. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA)

Total: $750k

5. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

Total: $1.11 Million

4.Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN)

Total: $1.30 million

3. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)

Total: $1.55 million

2.Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK)

Total: $5.85 million

1.Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)

Total: $9.25 million  

So why Venezuela?

Venezuela is a country rich in natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves.

President Trump explicitly tied U.S. military action in Venezuela with a bid to control its oil industry – which will benefit American oil companies. And Trump’s Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, said publicly the United States is going to have “significant control over Venezuela’s oil industry.” 

Is U.S. foreign policy being dictated by the interests of the American people, or the interests of Big Oil?

And are members of Congress – who need to be asserting their constitutional authority right now – answerable to their constituents or their personal investments?

The answer will lie in the facts – whether members of Congress stand up and lead. Only Congress is allowed to authorize war. And they should do so only for broad national interests, not narrow commercial interests.

We must remain attentive to how our members of Congress vote on this issue. Sign our petition to tell Congress to do their job.

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