Washington—According to intel, conferees worked tirelessly over the weekend to finalize a conference report incorporating elements of the Energy Policy Modernization Act (S. 2012). Heritage Action key voted final passage of S. 2012 in the Senate because the bill contained very few meaningful conservative victories and included numerous provisions that expanded the government footprint. Heritage Action has released the following statement from vice president Dan Holler:
"It is troubling that lawmakers are looking to move an energy bill in the waning days of the Obama administration. Legislating in a lame duck session is problematic, but the bill also potentially threatens to undermine the Trump transition's effort to reform the Departments of Energy and Interior."
In May, Heritage Action laid out a series of red lines for any conference report product. Heritage Action opposes the inclusion of the following provisions:
- Permanent extension of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
- The SAVE Act (Previous key vote on this provision here)
- Extended eligibility for the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program
- Stafford Act disaster aid eligibility expansion for energy efficiency products or structures
You can read Heritage Action's full list of concerns here.