Pork-filled Energy Bill Would Harm National Security

John Podesta, Center for American Progress -- The final form of the energy legislation being considered by congressional negotiators remains uncertain, but what has leaked out of the conference committee to date, if enacted into law, would be a giant step backwards for energy policy and for our nation. Any meaningful energy policy must meet three main goals: it must reduce dependence on unstable forms of energy, advance technologies that create jobs and reduce pollution, and help deliver reliable, affordable energy. The current energy bill fails on all counts.

The energy bill would weaken national security in two major ways. First, the bill fails the crucial goal of reducing our dependence on foreign oil. It creates new loopholes in fuel economy laws and lacks firm deadlines to develop and deploy advanced hydrogen and hybrid vehicles. By remaining overly dependent on foreign oil supplies, especially from the Middle East, it is more difficult to conduct our foreign policy on principle – especially when it involves standing up to countries that are major suppliers of oil to the U.S. Second, it irresponsibly reverses a long-standing U.S. nonproliferation policy, permitting the reprocessing of nuclear waste from commercial reactors.
The bill also deals a severe blow to our economy. While record deficits mount, costs in Iraq spiral out of control, and important domestic programs get slashed, the administration is pushing an energy bill that would add at least $50 billion to the national debt over the next decade – $18 billion through tax breaks alone. Big energy companies enjoy federal largesse at the expense of crucial domestic spending needs like education, housing, and health care. Worse, the tax breaks go to profitable corporations to perform tasks they would do regardless of any subsidy.