6 senators fight tax credit for wind production
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), along with a bipartisan group of six senators, sent a letter to Senate leadership on Nov. 19 to express their opposition to an extension of the wind production tax credit.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the senators argued that the expensive subsidy for wind wastes billions of taxpayers’ dollars every year it is extended.
“This expensive subsidy for wind creates an incentive for investors to build unreliable and unsightly sources of electricity, and distorts the market by giving wind an unfair advantage over other, more reliable and cost-competitive forms of electricity generation,” the letter states.
It continues, “Even after 22 years and billions of dollars of subsidies, wind only produces four percent of our country’s electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administra-tion, and that’s when the wind blows – which is only about 35 percent of the time and usually occurs at night, when we don’t need more electricity. The subsidy for Big Wind is so generous that at times, wind producers can give away their electricity and still make a profit.”
In July, the Senate Finance Committee voted 23-3 to approve legislation to extend expired temporary tax provisions, which included a two-year extension of the wind production tax credit through 2016. The House of Representatives has not extended the wasteful subsidy, and the seven senators agree with the House that the wind production tax credit should remain expired.
Alexander was joined by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), James Risch (R-Ida.), and Pat Toomey (R-Penn.).
See the full text of their letter online at bit.ly/No_ wind_tax_credit.
HUD proposes smoking ban in public housing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro joined Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in Alexandria, Va., to announce a proposed rule to make the nation’s public housing properties entirely smoke-free.
HUD’s proposed rule, announc ed Nov. 12, would require more than 3,100 public housing agencies (PHAs) across the country to implement smoke-free policies in their developments within 18 months of the final rule.
The ban would prohibit tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars or pipes) in all living units, indoor common areas, administrative offices and all outdoor areas within 25 feet of housing and administrative office buildings.
“We have a responsibility to protect public housing residents from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, especially the elderly and children who suffer from asthma and other respiratory diseases,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “This proposed rule will help improve the health of more than 760,000 children and help public housing agencies save $153 million every year in healthcare, repairs and preventable fires.”
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking kills 480,000 Americans each year, making it the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
The rule will impact more than 940,000 units that are currently not smoke-free, including more than 500,000 units inhabited by elderly households.
Through HUD’s voluntary policy and local initiatives, more than 228,000 public housing units are already smoke-free.
If finalized, the proposed smoke-free rule announced today would expand the impact to more 940,000 public housing units.
HUD’s proposed smoke-free rule will also help reduce damage and maintenance costs associated with smoking. It is estimated that smoking causes over 100,000 fires each year, resulting in more than 500 death and close to half a billion dollars in direct property damage; additionally, smoking is the lead cause of fire related deaths in multifamily buildings. A 2014 CDC study estimated that prohibiting smoking in public housing would yield an annual cost savings of $153 million, including $94 million in secondhand smoke-related health care, $43 million in renovation of smoking-permitted units, and $16 million in smoking-related fire losses.
This proposed rule will be open for public comment for the next 60 days. Interested persons may submit comments electronically at www.regulations.gov. Comments may also be submitted by mail to the Regulations Divisions, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 10276, Washington, DC 20410.
Senate resolution condemns Paris terrorist attacks
The Senate on Nov. 23 unanimously passed a resolution authored by Senators Bob Corker and Ben Cardin, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Paris.
Cosponsored by all 100 members of the Senate, the resolution also offered condolences to the victims and their families, resolve to support the people of France, and a pledge to defend democracy and stand in solidarity with the country of France and all our allies in the face of this horrific attack on freedom and liberty.
The resolution is online at bit.ly/condemn-terror.
