FENCES Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/6409
Last Updated: July 16, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11]

ID: P000048

Follow the money

The bill

FENCES Act

HR. 6409, 119th Congress β€” read as touching Oil & Gas.

The sponsor

Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$101,135 raised

23 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

April 16, 2026

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

πŸ“ Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

πŸŽ‰

Passed Congress

πŸ–ŠοΈ

Presidential Action

βš–οΈ

Became Law

πŸ“š How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the geniuses in Congress. The FENCES Act, a bill so cleverly named it's almost as if they want us to think they're trying to keep something out - or perhaps just keeping the truth fenced in.

Let's dissect this mess, shall we? The bill amends the Clean Air Act to "clarify" standards for emissions emanating from outside the United States. Because, you know, it's not like our own industries are responsible for polluting our air; it's clearly those pesky foreigners and their emissions that are the real problem. This is a classic case of "emission-itis," where politicians try to shift the blame to external factors rather than addressing the root cause of the disease.

The new regulations created by this bill are a perfect example of "regulatory rheumatism" - they're stiff, outdated, and only serve to further entrench the interests of polluters. The affected industries, of course, will be thrilled to have more loopholes to exploit. The fossil fuel industry, in particular, will be doing the "emissions evasion dance," where they pretend to comply with regulations while actually finding new ways to circumvent them.

Compliance requirements and timelines? Ha! This bill is a masterclass in "compliance constipation" - it's all about delaying and deferring actual action. States can now claim that emissions from outside the country (or even from natural disasters) are the reason they're not meeting air quality standards, and thus avoid sanctions and fees. It's like saying, "I'm not responsible for my own pollution; it's someone else's fault!" This is a textbook case of "polluter's paralysis," where industries use every excuse in the book to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.

The enforcement mechanisms and penalties? Don't make me laugh. The bill explicitly states that even if a state demonstrates that they would have met air quality standards but for external emissions, they're still required to implement measures to reduce pollution. But what's the incentive to actually do so when they can just blame someone else and avoid consequences? This is a classic case of "regulatory rigor mortis" - the regulations are dead on arrival, and everyone knows it.

The economic and operational impacts? Well, let's just say that this bill is a "gift" to polluters. By allowing states to shift the blame for their own emissions, industries can continue to operate with impunity, all while pretending to care about air quality. It's a win-win for them: they get to keep polluting and avoid paying fines. The rest of us, however, will be left breathing in the toxic fumes of their greed.

In conclusion, the FENCES Act is a farce, a sham, a travesty. It's a bill designed to protect polluters, not the environment or public health. So, to all the politicians and lobbyists involved in crafting this monstrosity

Related Topics

Climate Change & SustainabilityWater & Air Quality Regulations
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

πŸ’° Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11]

Congress 119 β€’ 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$101,135
16 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$7,600
Committees
$0
Individuals
$93,535

No PAC contributions found

1
SYCUAN BAND OF THE KUMEYAAY NATION
2 transactions
$6,600
2
ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBE
1 transaction
$1,000

No committee contributions found

1
WILSON, CELIA R
4 transactions
$22,400
2
PUDWILL, JAMES
2 transactions
$13,200
3
GELBMAN, JOEL
2 transactions
$13,200
4
DIMEMMO, COLETTE
1 transaction
$6,600
5
AUSTIN, RUTH
2 transactions
$6,600
6
WILSON, WORD B
1 transaction
$5,000
7
O'BRIEN, JAMES
1 transaction
$3,435
8
WIDENER, BROCK
1 transaction
$3,300
9
POOL, VALRIE S
1 transaction
$3,300
10
KAMON, KENNETH
1 transaction
$3,300
11
ZALIK, DAVID
1 transaction
$3,300
12
JENNINGS, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$3,300
13
WALKER, TODD
1 transaction
$3,300
14
HIDUKE, MARK
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 2 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2]

ID: C001120

Top Contributors

10

1
CHEVRON
OrganizationSAN RAMON, CA
$5,000
Sep 4, 2024
2
COMPLETE EMERGENCY CARE HOLDING LLC
OrganizationSOUTHLAKE, TX
$3,500
Mar 11, 2024
3
SANDLIAN REALTY
OrganizationWICHITA, KS
$1,000
Feb 7, 2024
4
ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBE
OrganizationLIVINGSTON, TX
$1,000
Sep 30, 2024
5
RUSSELL W H KRIDEL MD PA
OrganizationHOUSTON, TX
$250
Feb 28, 2023
6
JONES RANCH LLC
OrganizationCORPUS CHRISTI, TX
$250
Mar 13, 2024
7
MAFRIGE, DAVID
SELF β€’ COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 21, 2023
8
MAFRIGE, DAVID
SELF β€’ COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 21, 2023
9
ODEN, KEITH
CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST β€’ EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 27, 2023
10
ODEN, KEITH
CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST β€’ EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 27, 2023

Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5]

ID: C001137

Top Contributors

10

1
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
OrganizationMARICOPA, AZ
$1,000
Aug 27, 2024
2
FREYER, JOHN
LAND TITLE β€’ INS
IndividualDENVER, CO
$6,600
Oct 8, 2024
3
BANCROFT, PAUL
BANCROFT INVESTMENTS β€’ MANAGER
IndividualSCOTTSDALE, AZ
$6,600
Oct 14, 2024
4
MIENTKA, DANNY
THE EQUITY GROUP LLC β€’ DEVELOPER
IndividualCOLORADO SPRINGS, CO
$6,600
Dec 23, 2024
5
BENSON, BRUCE D
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualDENVER, CO
$6,600
Mar 18, 2024
6
BENSON, MARCY
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualDENVER, CO
$6,600
Mar 18, 2024
7
JENKINS, CAROLYN SUE
HOMEMAKER β€’ HOMEMAKER
IndividualMANITOU SPRINGS, CO
$6,600
Mar 11, 2024
8
JENKINS, DAVID D
NOR'WOOD FOUNDATION β€’ CHAIRMAN
IndividualMANITOU SPRINGS, CO
$6,600
Mar 11, 2024
9
JEWELL, DAWN MICHELLE
IndividualFORT MYERS, FL
$6,600
Mar 29, 2024
10
JOHNSON, JAMES M
GE JOHNSON HOLDINGS β€’ SELF-EMPLOYED
IndividualCOLORADO SPRINGS, CO
$6,600
Mar 11, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 49 nodes and 29 connections (54 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $124,835

Top Donors - Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11]

Showing top 16 donors by contribution amount

2 Orgs14 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped.

  • +Oil & Gasconfidence 0.90

    Section 2(c) adds a new section 179C that exempts states from sanctions/fees for nonattainment if emissions are from outside the U.S. or beyond state control, reducing regulatory burden on oil & gas operations that contribute to ozone/particulate pollution.

  • +Coal Miningconfidence 0.85

    Same as oil_gas: the exemption from sanctions/fees for ozone/particulate nonattainment due to foreign or uncontrollable emissions lessens compliance pressure on coal mining, a source of particulate matter.

  • +Electric Utilitiesconfidence 0.80

    Electric utilities, especially those relying on fossil fuels, face sanctions for ozone/particulate nonattainment; the bill's exemption reduces liability when emissions are deemed beyond state control.

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β€” they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HELPS

  • Oil & Gas$23,900
    from 40 contributions
    • DINGLER, WILLIAM$6,000
    • GORDER, JOE$2,900
    • SOMMERS, MICHAEL$2,500
    • RIGGS, R$1,500
    • FRASER, JASON$1,500
  • from 1 contribution
    • VIATOR, BRAD$500

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