Today the Senate defeated an amendment offered by Senators Menendez (D-NJ) and Burr (R-NC) that would have provided billions in lucrative tax breaks for the natural gas industry. The amendment would have attached S. 1863 , the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions, or NAT GAS Act, to the bill. TCS joined with a diverse group of budget and environmental groups in a letter today calling on the Senate to stop the wasteful measure.

The Senate NAT GAS Act is little more than a giveaway to the natural gas industry. It saddles taxpayers with billions of dollars in subsidies to the already profitable natural gas industry. While it offers taxpayers a modest user fee to help pay for the bill, the fee does not take effect until years down the road, and makes no guarantee that it could actually cover the bill’s hefty tag. The NAT GAS Act is an intrusion in the energy market place that clearly picks one energy technology over others that may be more economically feasible or environmentally friendly.

Taxpayers for Common Sense opposed the bill when it was first introduced and is also opposed to its closely related counterpart in the House— H.R. 1380 —sponsored by Rep. Sullivan (R-KS).