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EPA official under fire for calls to 'crucify' oil companies

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    Fmr. Shell Oil CEO John Hofmesiter reacts

  • Duration 6:21
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Welcome everybody glad to have you -- good and and all this on a day ExxonMobil reported making nearly nine and a half billion bucks last quarter and Wall Street called a disappointing.

The clearest -- yet the companies -- big don't target and now.

Now there is no doubt and EPA official caught on tape I'm -- saying he doesn't want to do is dead and he wants to crucify.

-- -- -- -- -- -- Now that administrator just issued an apology for those statements we'll get to that second but that is not -- lawmakers today -- demanded a full investigation.

One calling the comments actually part of -- campaign.

-- threats and intimidation by the White House hard as -- whether such alleged tactics and Exxon's profits dropping 10%.

From the year ago but this much is not -- -- the number of drilling permits permits on federal lands.

-- 37%.

Of the last three years compared.

With the prior to my next guest bearded and now says this -- global confirms that this.

Some big problems in Washington don't have Clijsters the former president so -- -- to you Boies argued this -- -- your critics have said John the little paranoid.

-- -- -- -- Well you know -- -- I'm a Democrat as you well know.

And I'm very very disappointed in some of the president's appointments.

-- in the case of administrator -- and -- as I've met him for the first time shortly after his appointment.

And he made a very bold statement he said my job is to undo eight years of environmental degradation.

Under the prior administration.

Now I was the president of -- during the prior administration.

And I can assure you that the EPA administrator in region six did a very effective and efficient job.

Making sure that environment the laws were enforced along comes a new guy with no real experience and executive management.

And suddenly his predecessor was somebody from the dark ages trying to ruin the environment ruin the -- and he's gonna fix all of that.

I'm not surprised to hear the crucified statement I think that a person who -- operates like a rabid bureaucrat.

Deserves all the -- me.

That the congress can throw at him because I'll tell -- the industry -- Texas has basically written him off.

He's a not a productive negotiator he's not doing his job the way it could be done to try to solve problems he's is more about enforcement it's all about enforcement -- -- I didn't listen we're -- the timing it is coming allied as ExxonMobil even though those numbers were disappointing.

They were still eye popping a lot of Americans see a company that is -- this amount of money on.

People are gonna start saying well maybe we are getting a little slippery here and maybe this is not registering like you -- thing when you.

Well in the case of ExxonMobil you know they've got a huge huge numbers.

But if you look at their percentage of profitability over many years it falls in the manufacturing average of about five to 6%.

There's nothing unusual you know I know what we're saying -- and -- -- a pretty typical I understand is that I guess what I'm saying is this is always in the and PR.

A part of this home.

Dario and and and appealing -- -- -- thought well now they're grounded there they've gone after this guide for using the crucified and as they said.

But on these oil companies are hardly slackers.

When it comes to making money hand over access to a lot of Democrats -- lot of liberals.

A lot of environmentalists of the EPA may be just as if not more offensive.

-- -- Well that's because it takes a practical mind to understand how the industry works and how profits occur.

In an industry that has all kinds of capital expenses and pays all kinds of taxes to the government.

For which people should celebrate those profits because it goes right back into more capital for more energy at a time of high prices.

What we need -- profitable companies pouring their profits back in the capital investments to increase supply.

In fact that the government would get out of the way of some of the opportunities to increase supply more profits would go to work and maybe even bring down gas prices.

Well you know when it we're gonna be getting into this in the second when a guess here but you know the argument is that.

They are doing the the -- -- we are doing -- as -- this EPA official.

Featured in in the video he did issue a statement today.

-- that I apologize to those I'd defended him regret -- -- choice of words it was an offensive and inaccurate way.

To Detroit portray our efforts to address potential violations.

Of -- nations environmental laws I haven't always been committed.

If there and vigorous enforcement of those laws when he seems to be saying here Don is take -- crucified out of it.

I am trying and still trying and we -- DPA are still aiming.

To make examples of those -- field are are compromising.

Environmental standards what do you make -- Well in the state of Texas.

Every major decision that he makes goes to court.

Because the process that he's utilizing.

Is considered so egregious and so unfair.

By those -- alleging are polluters that they seek refuge in the courts rather than try to work with him on a solution.

I don't think that's productive.

We put a person in charge of America's breadbasket.

Of the day -- -- the petrochemical industry of the nation across the Gulf Coast.

And he's a crusader.

Out to take care of his interest where the only thing that matters is environmental enforcement.

Among companies who put -- the highest level of priority environmental protection you'll get a license to operate in this industry -- If you are -- -- persistent violator of environmental rules you have to follow the rules if you're gonna be allowed to operate.

And he comes down like these people don't -- that the ignore the rules that they're negligent that they don't care what -- -- the opposite is true all right John thank you very much could see again.

Thank you all this is house Democrats.

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