Four more Republicans abandon Pickens natural-gas bill

The plan’s principal sponsors — led by Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) — say the bill can help wean the country off reliance on oil imports by expanding use of domestic natural gas in vehicles.

Groups opposing the bill include Americans for Prosperity, Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform, the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation.

Heritage Action for America — which is affiliated with the Heritage Foundation — praised the four GOP lawmakers who ditched the bill Monday.

“Now is the time to end market-distorting energy subsidies, not create new ones. Kudos to these representatives for rejecting this failed, big-government approach,” said Michael Needham, the group’s CEO, on its website Tuesday.

The campaign against the bill recently led Pickens to go on the attack against Koch Industries, the company helmed by billionaire brothers active in conservative causes.