U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) attend the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas. Credit: Getty

he 119th Congress comes with a price tag.

The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a Yale Climate Connections review of campaign donations. The industry gave an additional $2 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, bringing the total spending on the winning candidates to over $26 million, 88% of which went to Republicans.

The fossil fuel industry exerts substantial financial power within the U.S. political system, and these contributions are only the tip of the (melting) iceberg.

Outside spending: An order of magnitude more than candidate contributions

The 2024 presidential election saw over $4 billion in various contributions to the candidates’ campaign committees and outside groups supporting them. Most of the money in politics isn’t given to specific candidates. Rather, it goes to political action committees, known […]

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