The coal industry has spent a lot of money on House Representative Harold "Hal" Rogers, R-Ky., over the years, and their investment may have just paid off in the form of a special provision attached to the omnibus spending bill that Congress passed this week. Rogers, now the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, attached a rider to the bill to reverse an Obama Administration rule limiting U.S. financing of coal-fired power plants overseas. With domestic coal use waning, exports to coal-fired plants in other countries are seen as the future for American companies in the coal industry, so Rogers' rider is a significant boon for the industry.
Data: MapLight analysis of campaign contributions to House Representative Harold "Hal" Rogers from political action committees (PACs) and employees of coal mining interests, Jan. 1, 2001 - Dec. 31, 2012. Data source: OpenSecrets.org
- House Representative Harold "Hal" Rogers, R-Ky., received $183K from PACs and employees of coal industry interests.
- PACs and employees of Beechfork Processing, a Kentucky-based coal mining and processing company, have given $43,850 to House Representative Rogers, more than any other coal mining interest.
- PACs of the "big four" coal companies -- Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, Alpha Natural Resources, and Cloud Peak Energy Resources -- have given a combined $46,999 to House Representative Rogers.
- The National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association has given $46,000 to House Representative Rogers. According to the Washington Post, "rural electric cooperatives rely on coal for 80 percent of their power, well above the 50 percent national average."
Socialize this content: 
