Merkley upset by ‘big oil windfall’ in budget deal

Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the following statement Tuesday night after reports that must-pass, end-of-year tax and spending legislation included a deal to lift the ban on exports of U.S. oil:

“Lifting the oil export ban is a windfall for big oil at the expense of working Americans and our planet. Working families will pay more at the pump and our essential efforts to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy will be deeply damaged. It’s a huge mistake.”