Rouzer’s Toxic Loyalty: Selling Out New Hanover for Big Oil Cash

David Rouzer’s vote to nullify the EPA’s methane emissions regulation isn’t just another predictable move from a politician owned by fossil fuel money—it’s a direct betrayal of New Hanover County. Coastal communities like Wilmington sit on the front lines of the climate crisis, taking the brunt of rising sea levels, stronger hurricanes, and increasingly toxic air. Rouzer, sitting comfortably on congressional committees meant to oversee environmental policy, should be fighting for protections. Instead, he handed a free pass to polluters, ensuring that oil and gas executives can keep padding their profits while the people he’s supposed to represent breathe in the fallout.

Methane is no ordinary pollutant. It’s a climate accelerant, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide, trapping heat at a rate that speeds up the destruction we’re already seeing. It’s linked to increased respiratory diseases, degraded air quality, and an atmosphere so volatile that even industries tied to tourism and fishing—pillars of New Hanover County’s economy—are at risk. But Rouzer didn’t vote for the small businesses, the workers, or the families who rely on clean air and water. He voted for Duke Energy, Koch Inc., and Phillips 66—his campaign donors, the people who benefit most when regulations disappear.

This isn’t about red tape or bureaucracy. This is about letting some of the world’s most profitable corporations off the hook for poisoning the air and accelerating climate disasters. And for what? So Rouzer can keep cashing their checks while coastal communities get swallowed by rising tides and battered by stronger storms? His role on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Environment Subcommittee should mean something. It should mean he values research, data, and the reality of what’s happening outside the marble halls of Congress. Instead, his vote proves he has no interest in science—only in protecting the industry that bankrolls his career.

This isn’t just about some abstract concept of climate change. This is about jobs, homes, and futures. When hurricanes get stronger and more frequent, insurance rates skyrocket, property values drop, and businesses suffer. When pollution chokes the air and water, tourism declines, fishing suffers, and local industries feel the hit. Every single person in New Hanover County has something at stake here, and Rouzer just told them exactly where they stand in his list of priorities—nowhere.

This vote confirms what should already be obvious. Rouzer isn’t representing the people of New Hanover County. He’s representing the corporations funding his reelection campaign. If he can’t put his constituents above his donors, then voters need to remember that when they cast their ballots. Because while Rouzer’s campaign might be fueled by fossil fuel money, the people of New Hanover County are the ones left gasping for air.

Hold Rouzer accountable. Call 910-395-0202 and DEMAND ANSWERS!