Throughout the comment process the American Petroleum Institute (API) and other business groups detailed the competitive disadvantage that could befall U.S. energy companies should the SEC require public disclosure of commercially sensitive payment information.

FORBES: Oil and Gas Payment Disclosure May Harm Investors

"If you're disclosing and the other guy doesn't have to, you're not really on a level playing field, " says Chris Joyner, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry group for oil and natural gas companies.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The utter predictability of it all is becoming comical, so comical in fact that the American Petroleum Institute (API) responded to this budget proposal filled with stale, debunked and retreaded energy-related proposals by retreading the same statement it had issued in response to the proposed budget submitted by President Obama last year.

FORBES: The 'There You Go Again' Obama Energy Policy