Covert Bailout of Corporate Polluters Over Main Street Must End

Washington, DC -- Today, multiple outlets reported on the public bailout of corporate polluters - using federal funds that were designed to help small businesses struggling in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. The fossil fuel industry, whose financial struggles preceded the pandemic, are reaping millions of dollars in benefits both from the Paycheck Protection Program as well as tax breaks included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

House Democrats are set to pass a much-needed relief package today that scales back the tax provision being exploited and provides critical funding for, among others, states, Tribal governments, first responders, and hospitals. However, the package fails to include critical guardrails that would prioritize assistance to workers and prevent the Trump Administration from directing additional funds into corporate polluters’ pockets. 

In response, Sierra Club Our Wild America Director Lena Moffitt released the following statement:

“As people across the country struggle in the face of the ongoing health crisis, corporate polluters continue to exploit every and anything possible to pad their profits, which have been shrinking well before COVID-19. It’s clear that not even a pandemic decimating our economy is reason enough for the Trump Administration to prioritize people over polluters, which is why it’s critical Congress include guardrails to ensure businesses and people in need receive federal support, not the fossil fuel industry.”