Wyden Statement on Finance Committee Agenda

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on the Finance Committee’s path forward in considering its jobs and infrastructure agenda:

“The Finance Committee this month will begin consideration of jobs and infrastructure legislation. A clean-energy markup centered on reforming our broken energy tax code and creating jobs by boosting clean-energy manufacturing is first on the agenda.

“The climate catastrophes of the past year have underscored the urgent need to act. It’s long past time that Congress tackle the climate crisis in a comprehensive way. The window to avert the worst climate outcomes is closing, and overhauling the energy tax code to reward reductions in carbon emissions, rather than individual technologies, is critical to meeting President Biden’s climate goals.

“There’s a great opportunity for bipartisanship here, as there’s a lot for Republicans to like about this approach to combatting climate change. Our proposal consolidates more than 40 provisions and gets the federal government out of picking winners and losers in the energy sector. My Republican colleagues have criticized energy incentives for years on that basis, and an emissions-based approach takes care of that concern. It’s a market-based approach that will help foster innovation.

“Following the clean-energy markup, the committee plans to consider additional key pieces of our jobs and infrastructure agenda. The American people support bold action to address this country’s challenges, from rebuilding our roads and bridges and expanding rural broadband, to lowering the cost of prescription drugs and caring for seniors and Americans with disabilities. The Finance Committee is laser focused on making these historic investments in the American people, and improving the lives of working families.”

###

• Print
• Email
• Tweet