For Immediate Release
August 1, 2003

A Costly Deal on the Energy Bill

The following is a written statement by Jill Lancelot, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense, in response to the passage of the Senate Energy bill:

Washington, D.C. – As part of a last ditch effort to enable Senators to rush off to travel junkets with their K Street buddies, the Senate made a bizarre agreement to vote on last year’s energy bill. Instead of taking an important opportunity to fully debate and discuss our nation’s vital energy needs, the Democrats and Republicans decided to pass last year’s failed energy bill, piled high with corporate welfare to big energy interests at the expense of American taxpayers.

Democrats have convinced themselves that this is some type of political victory, but who are they kidding? They have given the keys of the federal treasury to a bunch of lawmakers that are beholden to big energy. This rush to get out of town will lead to higher deficits and billions of new spending and tax breaks to almost every corporate energy lobby.

Behind closed doors and beyond the scrutiny of the public, Republican lawmakers are now poised to write a new bill in conference committee. Conferences are notorious for larding up bills as part of an effort to grease the wheels of the legislative process. Mark my words; the energy bill that comes back from conference will be fueled by pork and even more wasteful than the current proposal.

This decision is a classic example of how Washington has stopped working. The Republicans took the Democrats’ offer and now taxpayers are left to pay the price. The Democrats could learn from the Kenny Rogers song, The Gambler that you, “know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run.” Senate Democrats should have run away from this costly and irresponsible legislative gamble.