|
May 13, 2005 Dear Senator, Last month, the House of Representatives passed a $92-billion piece of legislation full of subsidies, tax breaks, and royalty holidays for the energy industry. While the House dubbed this bill the Energy Policy Act, the legislation falls well short of the comprehensive energy policy that our nation needs. We urge you to demonstrate your commitment to fiscal responsibility by opposing this bloated, ineffective bill. With $8.1 billion in tax breaks and more than $80 billion in spending, H.R. 6 reads like a wish list for the energy industry. But this package of giveaways to energy companies will do nothing to lower prices at the pump. As Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said in February, this bill is “not going to have any short-term impact on energy prices that’s meaningful.” Americans of all stripes have criticized H.R. 6 for being an expensive bill that doesn’t get results. Rich Lowry of the National Review called the bill “a grab-bag of subsidies for new technologies…that are likely dead-ends”; Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies has said that the House’s legislation will not “have any meaningful strategic impact on U.S. import dependence”; and the Albuquerque Tribune called H.R. 6 “completely unworthy.” The House has set the bar low, and now it is up to the Senate to prove to the American public that our leaders are serious about the nation’s current energy crunch. We urge you to discard the House bill and draft new legislation that provides meaningful solutions to American families. Like the bipartisan National Commission on Energy Policy, we believe that Congress can craft a subsidy-free, revenue neutral bill that strengthens America’s energy infrastructure while reducing our vulnerability to volatile gas prices. At this time of record budget deficits, we are firm in our support for an energy policy that does not bankrupt the U.S. Treasury. Again, we urge you to take a stand for fiscal discipline by rejecting H.R. 6, and we look forward to working with you in putting forth a leaner, more effective piece of energy legislation. If you have any questions, please contact Autumn Hanna at (202) 546-8500 x112. Sincerely,
Jill Lancelot |
Get Social