Dear Senator:

On behalf of our members, the undersigned groups urge you to oppose the Energy Policy Act of 2005. We strongly believe that on balance, this legislation will cost taxpayers dearly and further inflate the federal budget. Our organizations are deeply concerned about this legislation and will consider including votes on this bill in our end-of-the-year scorecards.

In his most recent State of the Union address, President Bush pledged to cut the budget deficit in half over the next four years. But the energy bill now being considered in the Senate undermines this promise: it authorizes more than $39 billion in federal spending and is chock full of wasteful, unnecessary pork projects.

Our groups are strongly opposed to the energy bill that was passed in the House of Representatives in April, and we are disappointed that the Senate has chosen to borrow many of the House’s ideas, and some of the House’s legislative language, in its own energy bill. We urge the Senate to change course and reject the House’s misguided efforts.

Again, we urge you to demonstrate your commitment to fiscal responsibility by opposing the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Please contact Autumn Hanna at Taxpayers for Common Sense Action at (202) 546-8500 x112 or info@taxpayer.net, or Paul Gessing at National Taxpayers Union at (703) 683-5700 or pgessing@ntu.org or David Williams at Council for Citizens Against Government Waste at 202-467-5300 or dwilliams@cagw.org with questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Jill Lancelot
President/Co-Founder
Taxpayers for Common Sense Action

John Berthoud
President
National Taxpayers Union

Thomas Schatz
President
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste