Republicans cut $1.5 b from Energy Department Loan Program

I saw this in the Seattle Times this morning and wondered how/if the proposed cuts would affect the tax credits for purchasing electric cars?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2015139401_tornadoaid25.html

"House Republicans, who require spending cuts whenever new spending is proposed, said the FEMA funds would be paid by cutting $1.5 billion from an Energy Department loan program for the production of fuel-efficient vehicles. Aides said the bill probably would pass the House next week."

Other than the obvious not wanting to cut off campaign donations, why didn't they cut 1.5 billion in subsidies to the oil companies instead?

Bud said:

I saw this in the Seattle Times this morning and wondered how/if the proposed cuts would affect the tax credits for purchasing electric cars?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2015139401_tornadoaid25.html

"House Republicans, who require spending cuts whenever new spending is proposed, said the FEMA funds would be paid by cutting $1.5 billion from an Energy Department loan program for the production of fuel-efficient vehicles. Aides said the bill probably would pass the House next week."

Other than the obvious not wanting to cut off campaign donations, why didn't they cut 1.5 billion in subsidies to the oil companies instead?

Click to expand...

You never bite the hand that feeds you. This is simply opportunity knocking for those with an oil-baron fueled agenda.

i do not believe the Senate is going to go along with Cantor's pay-for program when it comes to disaster relief for the tornadoes. We will know more when OB returns from Europe and goes to Tornado Alley this weekend what his view is on having relief contingent on bgt cuts.

Goopers are batshit crazy, cutting programs before we are fully out of the economic decline. But they do not care that nearly 14 million are out of work and the rate is 9%, as of April; and as we know the national stats undercount the unemployed.


But the actual legislation is developing, of course. I do not think it plays that well in swing-state MO for goopers to not fund the disaster relief.

As to our personal interests, the loan program is not the tax credit program.

Bud said:

Other than the obvious not wanting to cut off campaign donations, why didn't they cut 1.5 billion in subsidies to the oil companies instead?

Click to expand...

Because GOP finally wants to abolish "useless" departments like EPA, FDA etc. and return to the glorious days of no income tax, pollute & run, segregation and possibly slavery.

I wish democrats had the nerve to stand behind their supposed values and block legislation they didn't agree with (like GOP did with the cut subsidy to oil companies).

Do loans ever get repaid? They can forgo the lending but then they must forgo the collection.
Not a real spending reduction IMO. Or was this 1.5B not going to be used anyway so it is just smoke and mirrors.

here is a link with more info, and yes it is the goopers cutting funds to help leverage future research.

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/25/aderholt-disaster-relief-cuts/

It's amazing that more "middle class" individuals don't
realize that the Repuglicans are the most anti-American
party ever. They would sell their sisters for more
corporate donations.
Their dullard base is so wrapped up in saving the embryo
and gun rights that they are blind to the fact that the
American dream is being destroyed by their policies.

While I agree completely that the GOP appears to have reached their own tipping point into some level of craziness, I have to also acknowledge that the money is being used to augment FEMA as they work all our weather disasters and take care of real Americans that need help immediately.

Unfortunately, I expect more of this type of redirection to augment FEMA in future as the "Fact That Part Of The Country Cannot Believe" will lead to more weather related, crop related, water related and fire related disasters.

From the thread: Is the Leaf Obsolecent?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greensp ... tions.html
"Batteries are the "heart" of electric vehicles, he (Secretary Chu) said, adding that the Department of Energy is funding research that will drop the cost of electric-vehicle batteries 50% in the next three or four years and double or triple their energy density within six years so "you can go from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on a single charge," he said. "These are magical distances. To buy a car that will cost $20,000 to $25,000 without a subsidy where you can go 350 miles is our goal."

I'm hoping this isn't the target of the cuts.