Conservatives talk a lot about the importance of small government and the sanctity of state’s rights. But actions speak louder than words, and when it comes to actions, the usual suspects will break their purported sacred principles in a heartbeat when properly motivated:
[Lamar] Smith, a noted climate change denier, has made repeated demands that the attorneys general and several environmental groups turn over their communications about Exxon, accusing them of embarking on an "unprecedented effort against those who have questioned the causes, magnitude, or best ways to address climate change." The attorneys general, as well as the activist groups, have refused to comply with the committee's requests, setting up a battle over subpoena power.
The question under investigation by those attorneys is if Exxon and/or other energy interests engaged in a planned effort to misinform the public on the environmental cost of fossil fuels, similar to the way big tobacco stalled health concerns over cigarettes for many years. If such a link could be shown, then Exxon and others might be liable for current and future billions incurred by taxpayers to address climate change and other consequences of their activities. Lamar Smith (R-TX), along with most Republican lawmakers these days, is a trained monkey who will perform on demand to stall that investigation at all costs, small government and states rights be damned.