The Democratic National Committee will hold a vote to repeal a ban on fossil fuel money only two months after it was first enacted.
In June, the DNC executive committee approved a resolution banning contributions from political action committees (PACs) that represent fossil fuel companies. Forwarded by Christine Pelosi, the daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), was an expansion of an earlier, broader resolution that banned contributions from companies opposed to the DNC mission.
"Fossil fuel corporations are drowning our democracy in a tidal wave of dark oily money; they have deceived the public about the impacts of climate change, fought the growth of clean renewable energy, and corrupted our political system," the resolution read.
But HuffPost reported Friday that the DNC was already considering lifting the ban, with a vote scheduled Friday afternoon.
Introduced by DNC chairman Tom Perez, the resolution frames the decision as a means to empower workers in the fossil fuel industry, saying the DNC will accept "the longstanding and generous contributions of workers, including those in energy and related industries, who organize and donate to Democratic candidates individually or through their unions’ or employers’ political action committees."
During the Barack Obama administration, the DNC had a ban on all corporate PAC donations. That ban was lifted during the 2016 election by the then-DNC chairwoman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), during which time the energy sector donated $2.6 million. An attempt to reinstate the ban in 2017 was voted down, despite efforts from progressive DNC member and Congressman Keith Ellison (D., Minn.).