Today, Senators Jim DeMint (R–SC) and Mike Lee (R–UT) introduced legislation that would move the United States a giant step forward in making our country’s energy market freer by eliminating targeted tax credits for energy sources and technologies. Their legislation, a companion to Representative Mike Pompeo’s (R–KS) bill, would force any tax policy that picks certain industries as winners and losers in the market to expire at the end of the year and expedite sunsets for tax credits extending multiple years. And it goes after all targeted tax credits: oil, …
This past April, when Members of Congress introduced the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NATGAS) Act that provides preferential tax treatment to subsidize the production, use, and purchase of natural-gas vehicles, the propane industry asked, “What about us?” Well, someone was listening, because a little over a month later Representatives John Carter (R–TX) and Dan Boren (D–OK) introduced the Propane Gas Act of 2011, which would provide a five-year extension for targeted tax credits for propane as a motor fuel, propane-powered vehicles, and propane autogas—propane converted to fuel …
If clean-energy means “low-carbon” (a definition to which I object), then the U.S. is way, way ahead of China in the clean-energy race. If it means low-everything-else, we are still way, way ahead, since China has a pathetic record on controlling genuine pollution. Getting hung up on commoditized solar-panel or wind-turbine production ignores the phenomenal increase in coal-generated power in China—an increase that swamps that country’s installed wind and solar production. From parity with the U.S. around 2005, China’s CO2 emissions will grow to roughly double America’s in 2012. Here’s …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. House forces pro-forma sessions to avoid recess appointments – Pete Kasperowicz The dead remain on Wisconsin voter list – M.D. Kittle Twitter’s ‘Who to Follow’ List Overwhelmingly Promotes Liberal Pundits, Media Outlets – Aubrey Vaughan Another View: Drastic solutions needed for permanent debt fix – William Beach U.N. subsidies: Get the ax – Tribune-Review An unintended consequence of the debt deal? Obamacare cuts could come – Tina Korbe What’s Ailing Wall …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. Pity the debt-paying generation – Bill Beach and Dustin Siggins Unhealthy Debt – James C. Capretta and Yuval Levin Debt deal could endanger health care law – Jennifer Haberkorn After Debt Deal, The Tea Party Has Staying Power – Liz Halloran Don’t Hollow Out the Military – Frank J. Gaffney Jr. A dangerous world – Peter Brookes Wisconsin’s Walker touts job growth, defends his record – M.D. Kittle The Spoilsmen: How …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. Reining in the CFPB – Diane Katz The End of the Growth Consensus – John B. Taylor Obamacare No Prescription for Hiring – James Sherk The NAT GAS Subsidy – David Kreutzer Why We’ll Have 10% Unemployment Soon – Jeff Reeves Securing the Integrity of Our Elections – Hans A. von Spakovsky Role Reversal: Latin America Taunts U.S. on Debt Woes – Brian Winter U.S. loses $1.3 billion in exiting Chrysler …
Over the years our federal government has implemented a number of bad policies to reduce dependence on foreign oil. The latest flavor-of-the-month policy is the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act, which would give targeted tax credits to produce natural gas vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. The problem with these plans is that the government picks winners and losers in the marketplace, wastes taxpayer dollars, diverts resources away from more productive use, and does little to reduce dependence on foreign oil. As Heritage’s David Kreutzer points …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. Addicted to subsidies – Derek Scissors Health-care legislation will take millions off the tax rolls – Brian Blase & Paul Winfree Tax hikes not needed to balance budget – Curtis Dubay Budget Danger Ahead: How Republicans could get snookered again – James C. Capretta EPA stimulating environmental regulations abroad – John Rossomando Energy Clarity 101 – Mark Green E.P.A. Chief Stands Firm as Tough Rules Loom – John M. Broder Small …
Two of the energy subsidy debates in Washington focus on tax credits for the ethanol and natural gas industries. The growing opposition to the $6 billion ethanol blender’s tax credit became quite clear when the Senate voted 73–27 to remove the subsidy—even though the credit is set to expire at the end of the year. When it comes to natural gas, bipartisan support has been cast to create, expand, or extend preferential tax treatment to subsidize the production, use, and purchase of natural gas vehicles (NGVs), although several Members of …
As small business goes, so goes the economy. They have been responsible for creating almost two-thirds of all net new jobs over the last 15 years. Indeed, one reason Obamacare is such a concern is that it will significantly reduce the incentive for small businesses to hire. Especially once the premium subsidies become available in 2014. The premium subsidies are Obamacare’s way of making health insurance more affordable for low-income earners who buy coverage in the new exchanges. Eligibility for a subsidy is limited to people who lack public or …
