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TCS Testifies on Revenue Sharing before Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

July 23, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Energy

TCS Testifies on Revenue Sharing before Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Today, TCS President Ryan Alexander testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on proposed state-federal revenue... Read More

TCS Statement on President’s Climate Speech

June 25, 2013 | Statements | Budget & Tax , Energy , Natural Resources

TCS Statement on President’s Climate Speech Below is a statement by Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on the President's Speech on Climate Change.... Read More

House Committee Passes Legislation That Could Siphon Billions in Royalty Revenue from Treasury

June 13, 2013 | Our Take | Natural Resources

House Committee Passes Legislation That Could Siphon Billions in Royalty Revenue from Treasury The House Natural Resources Committee voted 23-18 Wednesday to send the “Offshore Energy and Jobs Act” (H.R. 2231) to the House Floor.... Read More

TCS Testifies on Revenue Sharing before House Natural Resources Subcommittee

June 11, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Energy , Natural Resources

TCS Testifies on Revenue Sharing before House Natural Resources Subcommittee Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and... Read More

TCS Submits Comments on Proposed Oil Shale Management Rule

May 28, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Energy , Natural Resources

TCS Submits Comments on Proposed Oil Shale Management Rule Earlier this year, the Bureau of Land Management proposed new regulations for royalty collection from oil shale leases on public lands.... Read More

Support McCain-Flake Amendment No. 955

May 23, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Agriculture , Energy

Support McCain-Flake Amendment No. 955     Support McCain-Flake Amendment No. 955 May 23, 2013 The... Read More

House Subcommittee Discusses BLM Budget

May 07, 2013 | Our Take | Energy , Natural Resources

House Subcommittee Discusses BLM Budget The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and related Agencies held a hearing today to discuss the FY2014... Read More

Interior punts decision to determine royalty rate on risky oil shale speculation

March 22, 2013 | Press Releases | Energy , Natural Resources

Interior punts decision to determine royalty rate  on risky oil shale speculation TCS released a statement on the Interior Department's proposed rule making on oil shale development... Read More

Oil and Gas Production on Federal Lands High-Risk For Waste, Fraud

March 08, 2013 | Our Take | Natural Resources

Oil and Gas Production on Federal Lands High-Risk For Waste, Fraud The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released its bi-annual “High-Risk” report detailing federal programs and... Read More

Congress: Only Fund Emergency Needs in Sandy Supplemental

January 11, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Earmarks & Appropriations , Transportation & Infrastructure

Congress: Only Fund Emergency Needs in Sandy Supplemental   January 11, 2012 Dear Representative, As you know, the House of... Read More

Government Report: Taxpayers Losing Billions in Unaccounted Minerals Extracted from Federal Lands

December 20, 2012 | Our Take | Natural Resources

Government Report: Taxpayers Losing Billions in Unaccounted Minerals Extracted from Federal Lands The federal government does not know the value of hardrock minerals being extracted from public lands, a new report by the Government... Read More

House Science Subcommittee Debates Oil Shale Subsidies

December 12, 2012 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Energy , Natural Resources

The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing November 30th to discuss the development... Read More

DOD Acquisition Reforms: Spending Money is Hard!

November 13, 2012 | Our Take | National Security

“It turns out acquisition reform is hard,” said Undersecretary of Defense Frank Kendall at yesterday’s rollout of the Defense... Read More

Green Scissors 2012 Finds Environmentally Destructive Federal Programs

Green Scissors 2012 Finds Environmentally Destructive Federal Programs Left-Right coalition identifies practical steps Congress could take to slash deficits, save natural resources.... Read More

Statement by Ryan Alexander, President of TCS on Common Sense Limit to Taxpayer Subsidies for Crop Insurance

June 13, 2012 | Statements | Agriculture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2012 CONTACT: Steve Ellis, 202-546-8500 x126 The following is a statement by Ryan Alexander,... Read More

Coalition Letter Urges Congress to Reject Linking Drilling Revenues to the Highway Trust Fund, Preserve User-Pays

February 13, 2012 | Letters & Testimony | Transportation & Infrastructure

Taxpayers for Common Sense, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Reason Foundation, National Taxpayers Union, and Natural Resources Defense... Read More

Hill Briefing: Don’t Drill and Drive: Weakening the User-Pays Highway Funding Principle Would Endanger Our Nation’s Transportation Infrastructure

January 26, 2012 | Event Summary | Transportation & Infrastructure

TCS Hill Briefing: Don’t Drill and Drive: Weakening the “User-Pays” Highway Funding Principle Would Endanger Our Nation’s Transportation... Read More

TCS Testifies on Royalties before House Natural Resources Subcommittee

November 18, 2011 | Letters & Testimony | Energy , Natural Resources , Transportation & Infrastructure

TCS Testifies on Royalties before House Natural Resources Subcommittee Ms. Ryan Alexander President Taxpayers for Common Sense   Written Testimony submitted to the... Read More

TCS Letter In Support of S. 1775, the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act

October 30, 2011 | Letters & Testimony | Energy

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to several senators regarding S. 1775, the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act... Read More

TCS Statement on DOI’s Plans to Lease Public Lands for Solar Development

October 28, 2011 | Statements | Energy

Statement of Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense in response to Department of Interior release of the Supplement to... Read More

TCS Testifies on Revenue Sharing from Offshore Drilling

July 26, 2011 | Letters & Testimony | Energy

Ms. Ryan Alexander President Taxpayers for Common Sense Written Testimony submitted to the United States House of... Read More

Senate Energy Committee Should Not Divert Billions in Royalties from Treasury

July 19, 2011 | Our Take | Energy

 Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee asking committee members to oppose... Read More

Regulatory Comments for Office of Natural Resources Revenue Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Federal Oil and Gas Valuation

July 14, 2011 | Letters & Testimony | Energy , Natural Resources

Taxpayers for Common Sense submitted comments to the Office of Natural Resources Revenue concerning Federal Oil and Gas... Read More

Senate Committee Passes Energy Financing Entity

July 13, 2011 | Our Take | Energy

With little debate, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed by voice vote a bill to create the Clean Energy Deployment... Read More

TCS Testifies at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

March 03, 2011 | Letters & Testimony | Agriculture , Budget & Tax , Energy

On March 3, 2011 Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander testified at a House Committee on Oversight and Government reform... Read More

Ongoing Analysis of Debate Over FY11 Continuing Resolution

February 16, 2011 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Energy , National Security

The House of Representatives is debating a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2011 (through... Read More

Legislation Introduced to End Reverse Royalty for Hardrock Mining

January 31, 2011 | Our Take | Energy , Natural Resources

Last week, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced legislation to eliminate an unnecessary giveaway for mining companies that cost... Read More

TCS Statement on BLM’s Setting of Fees for Solar Energy Development on Federal Lands

June 14, 2010 | Statements | Energy , Natural Resources

Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released the schedule of rental fees it will charge for development of solar generation... Read More

Senate Climate Bill Loads up Taxpayer Giveaways

May 11, 2010 | Statements | Budget & Tax , Energy

Washington, DC -- Today Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will release their long awaited climate legislation, the... Read More

NEW ANALYSIS: Royalty-in-Kind Program Costing Taxpayers Millions

September 15, 2009 | Our Take | Energy , Natural Resources

Oil and Gas companies have skirted millions of dollars in payments owed to the federal government for the extraction of natural gas from... Read More

Salazar Announces Termination of Royalty-in-Kind Program

September 15, 2009 | Our Take | Energy , Natural Resources

This morning, Interior Secretary Salazar announced that he will end the mismanaged and wasteful Minerals Management Service’s (MMS)... Read More

House Passes Cap and Trade Legislation

June 25, 2009 | Our Take | Energy

Today, the House took an historic step towards addressing climate change by passing The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.... Read More

TCS Letter to the Senate on Hardrock Mining Laws

June 23, 2009 | Letters & Testimony | Natural Resources

               June 23, 2009 Dear Senator, For more than 137 years the law... Read More

What $24 Million Gets These Days

December 15, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

The controversial National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), located in a former department store in the congressional district of Rep.... Read More

Final Regulations for Oil Shale Leasing on Federal Lands

November 18, 2008 | Our Take | Energy

Despite the federal government’s recognition that “any significant production of oil shale is not likely to occur for a number of years,”... Read More

New Report Raises Concerns with Royalty-In-Kind Program

October 28, 2008 | Our Take | Energy , Natural Resources

A report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concludes that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) is at risk of... Read More

Official TCS Comments on Oil Shale Management - Proposed Rule

September 21, 2008 | Letters & Testimony | Energy , Natural Resources

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule for Oil Shale Management. Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) is a... Read More

New Report Details Problems with Oil and Gas Royalty System

September 11, 2008 | Our Take | Energy

A new report finds that the federal oil and gas systems inability to adapt royalty rates or lease contracts to market conditions could... Read More

Sex, Drugs, and Mismanagement at the Department of the Interior

September 10, 2008 | Our Take | Energy , Natural Resources

Government officials responsible for the collection of billions of dollars of oil royalties to the federal treasury accepted gifts from... Read More

GAO: Gulf Leases Could Cost Taxpayers $53 Billion

June 04, 2008 | Our Take | Energy

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today estimates taxpayers will lose up to $53 billion from Gulf of Mexico oil... Read More

Bipartisan Group of Senators Call for Taxpayer Protections in New Mining Law

April 23, 2008 | Press Releases | Energy

Washington, D.C. – Today Senators Feingold (D-WI), Sununu (R-NH), Cantwell (D-WA), and Gregg (R-NH) led a bi-partisan push for the... Read More

Testimony before Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Reform of 1872 Mining Law

January 24, 2008 | Letters & Testimony | Natural Resources

Good morning Chairman Bingaman, Ranking Member Domenici, members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you... Read More

Support H.R. 2262 and Reform of General Mining Law of 1872

October 25, 2007 | Letters & Testimony | Natural Resources

End a 135 Year Old Taxpayer Giveaway Support the Reform of the General Mining Law of 1872 Vote “YES” on H.R. 2262 Dear... Read More

Hardrock Mines on Federal Lands Provide No Return to Taxpayers

September 12, 2007 | Our Take | Natural Resources

Overview Under the General Mining Law of 1872, mining companies pay no royalties to the federal government for hardrock minerals... Read More

Written Testimony Royalties at Risk Hearing before House Natural Resources Committee

March 27, 2007 | Letters & Testimony | Energy , Natural Resources

Good morning Chairman Rahall and members of the committee.  Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.  My name is Ryan Alexander... Read More

Oral Testimony Royalties at Risk Hearing before House Natural Resources Committee

March 27, 2007 | Letters & Testimony | Energy , Natural Resources

Good morning Chairman Rahall and distinguished members of the committee.  Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.  My name is... Read More

Preserve Language to End Royalty Relief for Oil and Gas Industry in Interior Appropriations Bill

May 15, 2006 | Letters & Testimony | Energy

             Dear Representative, Taxpayers for Common Sense urges you to support... Read More

“Relief” for Oil and Gas A Fiscal Headache for Taxpayers

May 10, 2006 | Our Take | Energy , Natural Resources

“Now, we don’t think oil companies need tax incentives or subsidies to drill for oil at $70 a barrel, or for that matter at $25.”  Wall... Read More

TCS Commissioned Report—Billions Spent to Deter Marijuana Use, But Program Effectiveness Remains Unknown

June 28, 2005 | Budget & Tax

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal substance in the United States, and study after study shows that despite spending billions of... Read More

Stop MTBE Producers from Passing the Buck: Support the Capps Amendment to Strike MTBE Transition Assistance and Safe Harbor

April 12, 2005 | Letters & Testimony | Energy , Natural Resources

April 12, 2005 Dear Representative, We urge you to support the amendments by... Read More

Weekly Wastebasket

Our weekly reality-check for federal spending. View All

September 13, 2013

Syria: Excuse 535 To Not Cut the Deficit

Volume XVIII No. 37 Possible action in Syria has become the most recent excuse du jour for Pentagon boosters... Read More