GOP Blocks Renewable Energy Incentives
Posted by Michael Link on June 21, 2007 at 04:08 PM
Once again Senate Republicans have put the special interests before the people they are supposed to represent, blocking a measure to provide tax breaks for renewable energy. Despite the fact that the American people overwhelmingly favor the incentives, the GOP seems to care more about their Big Oil friends.
Nevertheless, the Democrats defeated the Republicans by winning a vote to limit debate on the bill itself, which the GOP had previously attempted to block. That's very good news for the Democratic Congress, and the House already passed similar legislation.
While the renewable energy tax incentives make the bill even better, without it there are still lots of big ideas that progressives should rally behind. OpenCongress notes some of the other pieces of the legislation:
The bill would recoup lost taxes from big oil companies, protect consumers from gasoline price gauging, promote energy efficiency in lighting and appliances, require utilities to generate some of their electricity from renewable sources, and raise the standard for fuel efficiency for automobiles.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it best today, noting that "Republicans repeatedly demonstrate that they do not care about the priorities of the American people, throwing up roadblocks at every turn instead of working with us to reduce skyrocketing gas prices, reduce our dependence on oil and reduce the emissions that cause global warming."
But there are still more negotiations to come, and according to Bloomberg News, a final vote on the bill is expected tomorrow. Even the measure blocked by the Republicans could be reconsidered, thanks to a manuever by Sen. Reid.
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