House and Senate Spending Plans Differ on Energy Policy

The Republican House's and Democratic Senate's spending plans for the rest of fiscal year 2011 reveal deep-seated differences in values on energy policy.

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Idea of the Day

Idea of the Day

The Republican House and the Democratic Senate have developed spending plans for the rest of fiscal year 2011. Both are focused on belt tightening. But they reflect each party’s version of “necessary” and reveal deep-seated differences in values on energy policy.

The House-passed version of H.R.1, for instance, earns the dubious honor of increasing our dependence on foreign oil while prices are rising. Meanwhile, the Senate version would maintain most investments in oil reduction and clean energy technologies that will generate jobs.

The House and Senate must now reconcile their differences before March 18, when the latest funding for the federal government expires. Hopefully the Senate will insist on its oil independence and clean energy investments and reject the House’s efforts to allow more air pollution.

For more on this topic please see:

Clean Tech Budget Showdown by Daniel J. Weiss and Valeri Vasquez

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