I've mentioned previously the possibility that the infamous Koch brothers might have a stake in seeing TransCanada's Keystone XL tar sands pipeline plowed across the Great Plains. Koch Industries insists it has "no financial interest" in the project. Congressmen Henry Waxman and Bobby Rush would like the Republican leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to make sure.
The House Dems are challenging another favor the House Republicans want to do for Big Oil: Republicans are pushing a bill that overrides the Executive Branch's regulatory authority and forces the State Department to issue a ruling on the Keystone XL permit by November 1. These same Republicans who would rush an environmental review of a project that threatens our land and land rights will likely hem and haw and delay seeking any information about Kochs' machinations. They will question why Dems are singling out one company for questions, but they will brook no criticism of their effort to single out TransCanada for favorable regulatory intervention by Congress.