Oh, look. Republicans on the House Energy & Commerce committee want to investigate Venezuela for giving away free oil to poor people. Apparently these acts of charity make them terrorists:

Venezuela also has developed close ties to Cuba, Syria, Iran, and Libya and other nations that have “undisputed ties to terrorism,” Barton and Whitfield said.

Noting that the committee wanted to better understand Venezuela’s offering discounted heating oil to select low-income US communities, they asked how the program was conceived, how and why its beneficiaries are selected, how it’s being implemented, what its status is in each of the proposed communities, and whether the program violates any antitrust laws.

They also request all of Citgo’s records of the program, along with responses to the questions, by Feb. 23

In a Feb. 17 response, Rodriguez said the Houston-based refiner and marketer initiated the program as a continuation of its response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita when heating oil prices began to increase.

“Citgo’s interest in a discount heating oil program for low-income people began about the same time as a request from a number of United States senators asking energy companies to provide heating oil assistance to low-income people,” he said.

The discount heating oil program has been implemented through existing charities that historically have provided low-cost heating oil to low-income people, Rodriguez continued. “These charities select the recipients of the program,” he said.

Frankly, I don’t give a shit about Citgo’s motives. All I know is, thousands of people who would otherwise be cold right now aren’t. I know that must seem downright crazy to Republicans, that an oil company would give it away, but I think there’s something wrong with the companies that won’t.