U.S. Congressman Bets on Energy and AI Core Stocks, Revealed Through Disclosure

According to disclosures filed with the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican Representative Richard W. “Rick” Allen of Georgia’s 12th District purchased shares of energy‐infrastructure company Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) and of the world’s largest foundry, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE: TSM), on February 19. He executed one transaction in each stock, with each trade reported in the range of US$1,001 to US$15,000 (approximately KRW 1.3 million to 20 million). The dual acquisition has attracted attention because it combines two sectors—energy and AI semiconductors—that are central to current U.S. policy priorities.

Kinder Morgan is a leading U.S. midstream infrastructure company operating natural‐gas and petroleum pipelines and terminals nationwide. Over the past year, its total shareholder return has been roughly 30%, significantly outpacing the S&P 500. In its fourth‐quarter 2025 results, the company reported earnings above analysts’ expectations and announced an annual dividend of about US$1.17 per share. Amid projections of rising natural‐gas demand and expanded LNG exports, its share price has climbed from the low‐$30 range to the mid‐$30 range.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company holds more than a 90% share of the advanced sub-3-nanometer foundry market and is the world’s largest contract chipmaker. Fueled by explosive demand for AI accelerators and high-performance computing, TSMC set record highs for revenue and profit in 2025 and has guided for roughly 30% revenue growth and capital expenditures of US$52–56 billion in 2026. Reflecting these expectations, its stock has nearly doubled over the past year to trade around US$330, although profit-taking and geopolitical tensions have increased short-term volatility since the early‐year rally.

Representative Allen serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the Education and Labor Committee. He has publicly criticized the Biden administration’s appliance and energy-efficiency regulations as a “war on domestic fossil fuels and consumer choice.” The Energy and Commerce Committee oversees areas directly tied to Kinder Morgan’s and TSMC’s businesses—including natural‐gas pipelines, LNG exports, the semiconductor supply chain, and technology competition with China—raising potential conflict-of-interest concerns when a member invests personal funds in companies under the committee’s jurisdiction. Although these trades were lawfully reported within the deadlines mandated by the STOCK Act, they may intensify calls to ban individual stock ownership by members of Congress and could feed public distrust and regulatory risk, given the significant policy influence over these core industries.