The Democratic National Committee on Friday reversed its ban on taking financial contributions from fossil fuel companies, after an outcry from union workers that said it was alienating a major part of the Democratic base.
“We have to draw the line that we are indeed a party of a big tent where all working people are welcome,” said DNC Chairman Tom Perez on a conference call Friday night. “We’re not a party that punishes workers simply based on how they make ends meet.”
Perez sponsored the Friday resolution that allows the DNC to accept contributions from workers that are employed by fossil fuel firms, such as those that mine coal, drill for and refine natural gas and oil.
The committee passed a resolution in June that prohibited taking contributions from fossil fuel companies. Soon after the ban was imposed, Perez began hearing concerns from unions and the labor community, he said on the call.
They were calling the ban “an attack on the working people in these industries,” he said. Nevertheless, he made clear that the DNC is committed to addressing the threat posed by climate change.
