Energy Committee Congressman Purchases Thousands in Berkshire and Pipeline Stocks
Republican Representative August Pfluger, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, disclosed in a recent congressional filing that he personally purchased between $90,000 and $300,000 worth of stock on March 13, including shares of Berkshire Hathaway and energy infrastructure company Enterprise Products Partners. Notified on March 31 and made public in his April 15 financial transaction report, these trades have reignited conflict-of-interest concerns given their direct ties to energy policy.
According to the filing, Rep. Pfluger bought between $15,001 and $50,000 of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B shares (BRK.B)—approximately ₩20 million to ₩65 million—and the same dollar range of Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD). Berkshire Hathaway is a diversified holding company whose subsidiaries span insurance, railroads, utilities and energy. In recent months, it has increased stakes in Chevron and Occidental Petroleum and completed its $9.6 billion acquisition of OxyChem, boosting its energy-asset portfolio. EPD is one of the United States’ largest midstream operators, owning extensive pipeline and storage infrastructure critical to transporting and storing natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids, and is known for its high dividend yield. Given that both purchases fall within the same reporting bracket, analysts view these two stocks—selected for their market caps and direct links to energy policy—as the core of Pfluger’s trades.
As of April 17, BRK.B shares traded around $475 and have been range-bound for a month, underperforming the S&P 500. Investors have noted that operating earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 fell 30% year-over-year and have expressed frustration over the company’s massive cash reserves—exceeding $300 billion—paired with what they see as slow progress on major acquisitions and share buybacks. Meanwhile, EPD’s stock has edged up only marginally over the past month, but the company’s decision to maintain its quarterly distribution at $0.55—and extend its streak of annual dividend increases to 27 years—has attracted income-seeking investors.
Pfluger, who represents Texas’s western Permian Basin and serves on both the Energy and Commerce and Homeland Security Committees, has long prioritized energy security and support for the fossil-fuel industry. He led a bipartisan letter opposing the Biden administration’s decision to pause LNG exports and has consistently called for expanded liquefied natural gas, oil and gas exports. Reports also show that a significant portion of his campaign funding comes from the oil and gas sector.
Given his committee assignments and direct holdings in energy-related companies, Pfluger’s recent trades have sparked renewed debate over whether lawmakers should be barred from trading individual stocks, raising both regulatory risks and potential political backlash from constituents.