In addition to harming Americans who rely on federal safety net programs, the budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate would harm national security and take the country back to outdated, polluting sources of energy, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Below is a statement by Gretchen Goldman, UCS president.
“If passed into law, the Senate bill would be extremely damaging to the public, not only in slashing programs that provide struggling families with help, including food assistance, but by turning back the clock on clean energy technologies. The United States is making huge gains in cleaner, safer and more affordable energy sources, but this Congress refuses to let the country move ahead, instead appeasing their oil, gas and coal industry supporters.
“Make no mistake, while the Senate did not include a punitive new excise tax on wind and solar projects, the bill is still devastating for the clean energy transition. The bill would spike energy costs, threaten energy reliability, and strand hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy and transportation investments along with the tens of thousands of domestic jobs that come with them. The provisions attacking clean energy and clean transportation are not about the budget, but rather Congress using the budget bill to boost fossil fuels by crushing these booming new industries.
“If you had any doubt about whether this bill was simply channeling President Trump’s vendettas and pet projects, look no further than the $25 billion dollars earmarked for a space-based missile defense system that would spur a nuclear arms race and has little chance of even working.
“House members got it wrong the first time but have another chance now to do their jobs. They must reject this bill, voting with their constituents in mind, not simply to avoid the ire of the president.”