Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams is back from her world tour, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-pops-up-in-nigeria-as-an-election-observer-losing-side-promptly-alleges-rigged-results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apparently having successfully served</a> as an election observer in Nigeria. The &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-election-denier-denier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">election denier denier</a>&#8221; is now throwing her weight around with an environmental group reportedly connected to some of the recent calls for gas stove bans and regulations.
Earlier this week, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/stacey-abrams-getsnew-job-after-election-loss-joins-environmental-group-trying-eliminate-gas-stoves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Abrams will serve as senior counsel for Rewiring America. In that role, she will help &#8220;launch and scale a national awareness campaign and a network of large and small communities working to help Americans go electric.&#8221;
It would appear that Abrams will help lead the push for the electrification of America.
&#8220;She will also guide the organization as it builds the tools and capacity to connect Americans and their communities to machines, installers, Inflation Reduction Act incentives, and jobs in the clean energy transition,&#8221; the group said.
The group may claim that the effort is being done out of love of Mother Nature, but a cynic — and some might say a realist — would allege that it is one giant cash grab.
Consider that as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration is spending more than $300 billion on green energy initiatives. That&#8217;s a whole lot of moolah up for grabs if you can get in on it early. That money is being steered by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-wants-credit-for-bidens-green-energy-agenda-let-her-have-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uber creep</a> and Democrat staple John Podesta.
Fox News has also previously <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dark-money-group-pushing-gas-stove-crackdown-significant-financial-stake-green-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the founders of Rewiring America — Alex Laskey, Saul Griffith, and Ari Matusiak — have made significant money off government funding in the green energy sphere while advocating for policies that benefit their bottom dollar via the non-profit group.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a shocking amount of money that they&#8217;re hauling in with this scheme of theirs,&#8221; Tom Pyle, the president of the Institute for Energy Research, told Fox News. &#8220;I call it Big Green Inc. It is literally a business for these guys and they cloak themselves in the mantra of trying to save the planet. But, really, this is just very sophisticated self-dealing.&#8221;
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Nevertheless, Abrams insists that her involvement is purely one of passion.
&#8220;What keeps me awake at night is that the communities who need the help the most and who could benefit the most from this economic opportunity get left out,&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/rewiringamerica/status/1636456613618786319?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a media interview. &#8220;That’s why I am here.&#8221;
Right, surely it has nothing to do with the &#8220;money, money, money, money, money, money, money&#8221; being sloshed around in the green energy world these days, to quote <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/at-davos-john-kerry-praises-select-group-of-people-for-saving-the-planet-but-says-they-need-money-money-money" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House climate czar John Kerry</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“Money money money money” &#8211; John Kerry <a href="https://t.co/DIfRbGMZqJ">pic.twitter.com/DIfRbGMZqJ</a>
&mdash; David Whitehead 🇨🇦🇳🇱 (@TruthWarriorDad) <a href="https://twitter.com/TruthWarriorDad/status/1615399705621712898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 11: Politician Stacey Abrams speaks onstage during The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100 Women in Entertainment at Milk Studios on December 11, 2019 in Hollywood, California.

Stacey Abrams Now Throwing Her Weight Around With Group Advocating Gas Stove Regulations

Biden Administration

Energy

Gas stoves

Inflation Reduction Act

Politics

Stacey Abrams

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget</a> proposal submitted by the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> on Thursday would add roughly $43 billion in funding to the Internal Revenue Service, also known as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/internal-revenue-service-irs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRS</a>, months after the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/taxes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax</a> enforcement agency received $80 billion through the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a>.
Beyond the $14.1 billion allocated to the IRS, which marks a 15% increase from the previous year, the budget would provide another $29.1 billion in “mandatory funding for enforcement and operations,” according to a <a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/never-enough-biden-budget-seeks-absurd-43-2-billion-for-irs-despite-receiving-unprecedented-80-billion-windfall-just-last-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from the House Ways and Means Committee. The proposed allocation comes after the IRS received an $80 billion windfall through the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Joe Biden in August.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1333" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> before the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday that the funds from the Inflation Reduction Act have resulted in taxpayers receiving “drastically improved customer service” because staffers were equipped to answer “hundreds of thousands more phone calls during this filing season than at this time last year.” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) meanwhile pressed the official over the increased tax enforcement allocation.
“I have to ask: Is this a joke? After a two-year inflation crisis that has cost American workers more than two months of pay, families need every penny they can get,” he said in opening remarks provided to The Daily Wire.
Yellen has previously vowed that the funds from the Inflation Reduction Act would not be used to increase audit rates for households earning less than $400,000 per year “relative to historical levels.” She has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-vows-irs-audits-wont-rise-for-middle-income-americans-but-theres-a-catch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed</a> to clarify that “historical levels” of enforcement were far higher as recently as one decade ago: audit rates for households earning between $25,000 and $200,000 declined 76% between 2010 and 2019, according to <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104960.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Government Accountability Office.
Officials have also claimed that the funds will enable IRS staff to more easily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-a-strong-irs-is-critical-to-the-economic-success-of-this-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assist</a> individuals and businesses attempting to properly file their taxes. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration nevertheless said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irs-has-not-yet-finalized-how-middle-class-will-be-affected-by-80-billion-windfall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that the budget for enforcement activities will increase 69% over the next decade while the budget for taxpayer services will increase 9%.
Biden administration officials contend that the more stringent tax enforcement enabled by the additional IRS funds would improve the nation’s fiscal health. The $43 billion allocated to the IRS would decrease the deficit by $134 billion over the next decade.
The overall budget proposal, which suggests an increase in government spending from $5.8 trillion to $6.9 trillion, is also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-taxes-and-more-spending-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-president-bidens-newest-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marked</a> by a number of tax hikes on wealthy individuals and businesses. Households with more than $100 million in wealth would be subjected to a 25% minimum tax, while the top marginal tax rate would also be increased to 39.6% from the current 37% rate. Businesses would see an increase in the corporate tax to 28%, which would split the difference between the current 21% rate and the previous 35% rate that was in effect before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
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The additional $43 billion for the IRS is unlikely to pass the House of Representatives, which recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-republican-house-votes-to-repeal-the-democrats-army-of-87000-irs-agents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to repeal the $80 billion offered to the IRS by the Inflation Reduction Act. Senior Republican officials have likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dead-on-arrival-republicans-slam-biden-budgets-higher-taxes-and-spending" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that they would oppose the budget proposal.
“President Biden just delivered his budget to Congress, and it is completely unserious. He proposes trillions in new taxes that you and your family will pay directly or through higher costs,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) remarked. “Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.”

President Biden Returns To The White House From Pennsylvania

‘Is This A Joke?’: Biden’s Budget Increases IRS Funding By $43 Billion Only Months After $80 Billion Windfall

Biden's Budget Increases IRS Funding By $43 Billion Only Months After $80 Billion Windfall

Budget

Economy

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Taxes

U.S.

A report from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/internal-revenue-service-irs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internal Revenue Service</a> released last week indicated that officials are devoting much of the agency’s recent funding windfall toward audits even as the degree to which the actions will impact everyday <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/taxes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taxpayers</a> remains uncertain.
President Joe Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a> recently approved $80 billion for the tax enforcement agency. Treasury Secretary <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/janet-yellen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janet Yellen</a> previously said that the funding will enable staff members to upgrade information technology systems and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-a-strong-irs-is-critical-to-the-economic-success-of-this-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more easily assist</a> individuals and small businesses seeking to file their taxes; a <a href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2023-01/2023ier003fr.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, however, indicated that the agency has not yet decided how the actions enabled by the funds will impact audit rates for middle-income taxpayers.
The document noted that the Inflation Reduction Act earmarked $45.6 billion, the majority of the new funds, toward enforcement activities that will empower agents to “determine and collect taxes owed.” Some $3.2 billion will be used to aid taxpayers with “filing and account services, pre-filing assistance, and education,” while $4.8 billion will be used for business systems modernization that “can be invested” in customer service technology.
The agency’s budget for enforcement activity will therefore increase 69% over the next decade, while the budget for taxpayer services will increase 9%. The remainder of the new funding will be used to cover the costs of rent, facilities, and telecommunications.
Yellen has previously vowed that the new resources will not be utilized to increase audit rates for American households earning less than $400,000 per year “relative to historical levels.” She <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-vows-irs-audits-wont-rise-for-middle-income-americans-but-theres-a-catch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed</a> to clarify that “historical levels” of enforcement were far higher as recently as one decade ago: audit rates for Americans earning between $25,000 and $200,000, for instance, decreased 76% between 2010 and 2019, according to <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104960.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Government Accountability Office.
The document from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration likewise reveals that IRS officials “have not yet finalized what constituted the $400,000 income level or what historic audit level will be used for its metrics,” further indicating that such matters are “still being discussed between the IRS and the Treasury Department.” The agency nevertheless believes there is not “an immediate risk” of violating the commitment because “employee attrition and hiring challenges will limit its ability to conduct more audits.”
An analysis of the document from the House Ways and Means Committee provided to The Daily Wire concluded that “when they have the numbers, they’ll perform the audits.”
“At a time when Americans are facing the double threat of sky-high inflation and an economy in recession, top bureaucrats at the IRS are huddling over how to spend their $80 billion windfall, and what technicalities they can use to justify auditing families and small businesses,” Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “President Biden and Secretary Yellen need to come clean with the American public about the true extent of their enforcement plans and exactly how many middle-class families will be swept up in their audit scheme. The American people are already dealing with 40-year high inflation; the last thing they need is a visit from the IRS.”

Panel Recommends Major Tax Law Changes

IRS Has ‘Not Yet Finalized’ How Middle Class Will Be Affected By $80 Billion Windfall

IRS Will Use Most Of $80 Billion Windfall For Audits. Officials ‘Have Not Yet Finalized’ How Middle Class Will Be Affected.

Janet Yellen

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> says if you are cold and looking for some economic relief, then you just need to spend thousands on retrofitting your home with energy-efficient windows.
Oh, what&#8217;s that? You&#8217;re saying rent an apartment? Even if you are a homeowner, you&#8217;re saying you can barely afford groceries, let alone home upgrades?
Well, Biden doesn&#8217;t really care about those concerns. He signed the Inflation Reduction Act and one of the key ways you can save — according to the Democrats — is to take advantage of lucrative tax incentives that require you to spend big chunks of money in the name of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>.
After bragging about a few different tax rebates offered, Biden told Americans, &#8220;If you’re living in a home with drafty windows and doors, starting January 1, you’ll be able to save up to $1,100 on the cost of replacing them. And that’s just on the upgrade.&#8221;
The president, the son of a <a href="https://heavy.com/news/joseph-sr-joe-biden-father/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used car salesman</a>, went on to sound exactly like a used car salesman.
&#8220;And that’s not all,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/11/18/remarks-by-president-biden-in-a-meeting-with-business-and-labors-leaders-on-the-economy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued</a>. &#8220;If you want to install solar panels on your roof, you can get a tax credit for 30 percent of the cost. It’ll bring down the cost of installation by about $7,500.&#8221;
How exactly will that help you in the long run?
&#8220;And when you get to keep saving money on your electric bills for the remainder of the year, it’s about $300 a year on average,&#8221; he noted.
As The Daily Wire has documented, Biden isn&#8217;t the only one in his administration constantly bragging about this great economic relief. His energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is big on this stuff, too.
We&#8217;ve done it before, but let&#8217;s again <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hey-neat-spend-1000-on-green-energy-and-the-feds-will-give-you-a-300-tax-credit-to-reduce-inflation-thanks-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimate</a> the costs of a few of the Biden administration&#8217;s suggested home “improvements&#8221;:
<blockquote>The average energy-efficient window pane costs anywhere from $325 to $1,110, <a href="https://modernize.com/windows/energy-efficient" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Modernize, a home services website. That price range is per window — not for the entire home. Using those figures, on the lowest end of the spectrum, if you had four windows in your home, you’d need to spend at least $1,300 before any labor or delivery costs are even calculated into it. If you did that, you would get a $390 tax credit.
[&#8230;]
Looking at Granholm’s home state of Michigan, the average solar-panel system costs roughly $16,020 — pre-federal incentives — <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/solar-energy/how-much-do-solar-panels-cost.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Consumer Affairs. Again, with a 30% tax credit, you’d receive $4,806.00 back if you spent that kind of moolah.
So, if you’re somebody who lives in a four-window home and wants to purchase a basic solar-panel system and buy some efficient windows – you’ll need to spend $17,320 to “save” $5,196.00. Of course, four-window homes are hard to come by, and if they do exist, it is doubtful that their occupants can afford to spend that kind of money.</blockquote>
So, it is all nonsense. Spend thousands to save hundreds. But, first, you need to buy a home.
Thirty-five percent of Americans <a href="https://www.rubyhome.com/blog/renting-stats/#:~:text=1%2C999%20square%20feet.-,How%20Many%20People%20Rent%3F,the%20U.S.%20population%20in%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener">rent</a>, many are bleeding through their savings and living <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/millions-of-working-americans-are-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-and-running-out-of-cash-as-another-recession-looms-11666838538" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paycheck-to-paycheck</a>, and inflation is still sky-high.
But hey, Biden says &#8220;there’s a strong sense from all the leaders of the world of the strength of the American economy&#8221; — so we&#8217;ve got that going for us, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBWcRqPesws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which is nice</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-have-to-be-a-wealthy-partially-deaf-green-energy-fanatic-to-save-money-in-bidens-america?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwbrand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You Have To Be A Wealthy, Partially-Deaf, Green Energy Fanatic To Save Money In Biden’s America</a>

Joe Biden

Biden To Americans: Feeling Poor And Cold? Just Spend Thousands On Solar Panels And New Windows.

Biden To Americans: Feeling Poor And Cold? Just Spend Thousands Solar Panels And New Windows.

Department of Energy

Environment

Executive

Inflation

In 2009, then-Vice President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.npri.org/biden-we-have-to-go-spend-money-to-keep-from-going-bankrupt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the nation the federal government had to spend money to keep from going bankrupt.
In 2022, the <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/who-is-biden-meeting-with-president-has-spent-25-of-term-in-delaware-visitor-logs-dont-seem-to-exist/">Biden administration</a> is now saying that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American consumer</a> has to follow that exact same strategy to avoid inflationary woes.
It is pretty bad advice, made even worse by the fact that Democrats are saying Americans should spend thousands of dollars on &#8220;weatherized homes,&#8221; electric vehicles, and even hearing aids to reap the benefits of Bidenomics.
For example, on Sunday, CNN&#8217;s Dana Bash asked White House economic advisor Cecilia Rouse when Americans could expect the billion-dollar boondoggle that is the &#8220;Inflation Reduction Act,&#8221; to actually reduce inflation.
The inflation rate reached 8.2% in September. Thirty-six percent of Americans are <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/11/inflation-has-caused-more-than-a-third-of-adults-to-tap-their-savings.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tapping</a> into their savings just to survive. The state of the economy, according to most Americans, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-poll-majority-blame-biden-for-economy-and-say-its-getting-worse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worsening</a>. So, what was Rouse&#8217;s answer?
According to Rouse, Americans can start saving money in 2023 &#8230; so long as they buy new and improved efficient windows and other green energy expenditures for their homes.
Watch here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;When [will] the so-called &#39;Inflation Reduction Act&#39; will really start to bring down inflation?&quot;
Biden economic advisor Cecilia Rouse: &quot;Next year. For example, there are tax credits for energy to help people weatherize their homes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/javfyFXQfM">pic.twitter.com/javfyFXQfM</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1581636810333212673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden&#8217;s Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has also bragged about that tax credit. In short, you have to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hey-neat-spend-1000-on-green-energy-and-the-feds-will-give-you-a-300-tax-credit-to-reduce-inflation-thanks-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spend thousands to save hundreds</a>.
For example, the average energy-efficient window pane costs anywhere from $325 to $1,110, <a href="https://modernize.com/windows/energy-efficient">according</a> to Modernize, a home services website. That price range is per window — not for the entire home. Using the lowest estimate available, if you had four windows in your home, you’d need to spend at least $1,300 before any labor or delivery costs are even calculated into it.
If you did that, you would get a $390 tax credit. Four home windows are hard to come by, so it&#8217;s likely you&#8217;d spend a lot more than that.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/10/17/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-october-17-2022/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=1-trump-putin-and-reopening-of-emails-investigation-from-michael_novakhov-37-sites-putin-and-american-political-process-google-news-press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-oct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the White House &#8220;understands&#8221; that costs are burdening American families. That is why Biden signed an executive order speeding up the availability of over-the-counter hearing aids, she claimed.
Huh?
For those who need it, over-the-counter hearing aids will be cheaper. That is great news.
There are just two problems with the White House&#8217;s boast.
The first is that not every American needs a hearing aid (obviously).
The second is that Biden wasn&#8217;t exactly the brainchild behind that policy.
In 2017, then-President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/government-verify/law-that-passed-in-2017-paved-the-way-for-over-the-counter-hearing-aids/536-ffb3b7a0-1374-46dd-8d46-132c1ef6919d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a bipartisan law that deregulated hearing aids. The implementation was slowed down due to the pandemic as the Food and Drug Administration shifted manpower to COVID-related needs. Biden dragged it over the finish line.
Of course, if &#8220;deregulation&#8221; is the key to bringing down the costs of products, why aren&#8217;t Americans seeing deregulation in the oil and gas industry?
Well, the answer is that the Biden administration is intent on forcing Americans into buying electric vehicles.
Long before the war in Ukraine began — which Democrats blame for practically every problem under the sun — America was dealing with high gas prices.
Shortly after returning from a three-month parental leave, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg <a href="https://thehill.com/dem-lawmakers/583325-buttigieg-electric-vehicle-owners-never-have-to-worry-about-gas-prices-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> American families in November 2021 that they&#8217;ll “never have to worry about gas prices again” if they buy an EV.
Granholm, Biden, and Buttigieg have repeated similar variations of that line for the past year.
The usual suspects neglect to mention that the average EV has a gigantic price tag.
According to Kelley Blue Book, in September of 2022, the <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-vehicle-average-transaction-prices-fall-for-first-time-in-five-months-after-recently-hitting-record-high-according-to-kelley-blue-book-301646940.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">average electric car price</a> was $65,291.
Aside from hearing aids — which <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fewer than 30 million</a> Americans need — none of these examples of how to save money are fixed costs.
You need to — as mentioned — spend lots of money to save money.
So if you are a wealthy hard-of-hearing American looking to buy a new car and upgrade your entire home, you might find this all to be welcomed news.
If not, tough luck schmuck.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

You Have To Be A Wealthy, Partially-Deaf, Green Energy Fanatic To Save Money In Biden’s America

You Have To Be A Wealthy, Partially Deaf, Green Energy Fanatic To Save Money In Biden's America

Climate Change

Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet said that the Inflation Reduction Act is not reducing inflation because it hasn&#8217;t set in yet.
Appearing on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; Sunday, Bennet said that the cost-saving provisions of the Democrats&#8217; $740 billion tax and spending plan have not been implemented. Bennet claimed that high gas prices, a broken global supply chain, and the time it takes to put the law into effect are the primary reasons Americans aren&#8217;t seeing any relief.
&#8220;Why isn&#8217;t the Inflation Reduction Act reducing inflation?&#8221; host Dana Bash asked.
&#8220;Well, because the elements of the Inflation Reduction Act aren&#8217;t going to kick in for a while, Dana,&#8221; Bennet responded. &#8220;I mean, the cap on drug prices for seniors and the requirement finally &#8212; finally, we overcame pharma to have a requirement that Medicare negotiate drug prices on behalf of the American people &#8212; capping insulin at $35 a month, I mean, these are things that are going to take a while to put in place.&#8221;
&#8220;Today, gasoline is $3.70 a gallon,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Here in Colorado, a gallon of milk costs $4.20. That&#8217;s really tough on people. And I think one of the things I have been trying to explain to folks is that this is a global problem. Canada has the same inflation that we have. The European &#8212; every country in Europe has the same inflation we have. The U.K. does as well. India has as well, because as we&#8217;re facing broken global supply chains that we have to address. And we&#8217;re facing increases in energy prices because, two years ago, oil was at $20 a barrel, went to $93 because of the economic recovery, and then Putin invaded Ukraine. The fact that it is global is cold comfort when you&#8217;re paying $3.70 a [gallon].&#8221;
Despite Bennet&#8217;s claims, expert analyses have shown that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vp-harris-breaks-tie-senate-passes-democrats-inflation-reduction-act-climate-tax-and-spending-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a> won&#8217;t reduce inflation in the short term or the long term.
An analysis by the Wharton School of Business in July found that the bill could actually <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-inflation-reduction-act-could-slightly-increase-inflation-over-next-two-years-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase inflation</a> through 2024. But even after that, the law&#8217;s impact on inflation would be &#8220;statistically indistinguishable from zero&#8221; through the rest of the decade, &#8220;thereby indicating low confidence that the legislation will have any impact on inflation,&#8221; Wharton&#8217;s budget model found.
The Inflation Reduction Act likely won&#8217;t lower prescription drug prices in the short term either. Under the law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services can negotiate the prices of certain drugs beginning in 2026.
Critics warn that it might not lower gas prices, as it imposes a 16.4 cents per barrel tax on imported crude oil and petroleum products.

michaelbennet.jpg

Dem Senator Bennet: Inflation Reduction Act Hasn’t Reduced Inflation Because It Won’t ‘Kick In For A While’

Dem Senator Bennet: Inflation Reduction Act Hasn't Reduced Inflation Because It Won't 'Kick In For A While'

Senate Democrats

State of the Union

The vast majority of American <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/small-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small business</a> owners are concerned about an expanded <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/internal-revenue-service-irs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRS</a>, according to survey results from the Job Creators Network Foundation exclusively provided to The Daily Wire.
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden two months ago, allocated $80 billion for officials to hire up to 87,000 new IRS employees over the next decade, thereby <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-inflation-reduction-act-would-allow-irs-to-hire-up-to-87000-new-employees-raise-taxes-report">more than doubling</a> the agency’s size. A poll of 500 small business owners conducted by the Job Creators Network Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting economic freedom, discovered that roughly 70% oppose doubling the size of the agency.
&#8220;No one likes getting audited by the IRS, especially those who can&#8217;t afford to fight it,” Job Creators Network Foundation President Elaine Parker said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “The easiest audit for the IRS is one without a fight, where they send out a letter and squeeze more money out of those who won&#8217;t challenge them. Why else do you think the IRS audits the poor at five times the rate of everyone else?”
While correspondence audits involve the IRS sending a request for the provision of more tax information, field audits are more extensive. The former is less costly for the IRS, yet the latter tends to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-joe-bidens-new-irs-army-will-impact-your-taxes">yield more revenue</a>, especially for higher earners. As of 2019, only 11% of correspondence audits resulted in the IRS concluding that the taxpayer had accurately covered their liability, according to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/statistics/soi-tax-stats-examination-coverage-recommended-and-average-recommended-additional-tax-after-examination-irs-data-book-table-17b-discontinued">data</a> from the agency.
“The tax code is already convoluted and intentionally difficult to navigate. For small businesses, it is even more so,” Parker continued. “Big businesses can afford high-priced accountants to navigate the complex system, but many small businesses handle their taxes themselves. If an audit comes, they&#8217;ll be woefully unprepared. The simplest move is to just pay up rather than engage in a time-consuming fight they&#8217;re unlikely to win. More IRS agents will mean more audits, more audits mean more targeting of small businesses and poor Americans.”
Officials in the Biden administration have nevertheless vowed that the expansion of the IRS would not translate to more audits for lower-class and middle-income taxpayers. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, for instance, promised that new funding would not be directed to increase audits for American households earning less than $400,000 per year “relative to historical levels.” However, she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-vows-irs-audits-wont-rise-for-middle-income-americans-but-theres-a-catch">failed to clarify</a> that “historical levels” of audits were far higher as recently as one decade ago. According to a <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104960.pdf">report</a> from the Government Accountability Office, audit rates for Americans earning between $25,000 and $200,000 fell 76% between 2010 and 2019, while those earning less than $25,000 saw audit rates fall by 61%.
“A strong IRS is critical to the economic success of this country,” she commented during a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-a-strong-irs-is-critical-to-the-economic-success-of-this-country">speech</a> in Maryland, “and I am heartened that we are finally reflecting that in our funding decisions.”
IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig likewise sought to ease lawmakers&#8217; concerns regarding heightened tax burdens. “As an extremely proud American, I’m grateful for your support of the IRS and our dedicated employees,” he said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irs-we-will-absolutely-not-target-everyday-americans-with-new-army-of-agents">letter</a>. “I cannot be forceful enough in emphasizing that these resources will be transformative for the agency and for American taxpayers.”

Packed boxes in closed cafe, small business lockdown due to coronavirus.

Poll: 7 In 10 Small Businesses Oppose Expanding The IRS

7 In 10 Small Businesses Oppose Expanding The IRS

Small Businesses

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/blake-masters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Masters</a> challenged Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-kelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Kelly</a> (D-AZ) on Thursday over the Democrat’s support for legislation beefing up the IRS with up to 87,000 more employees while voting against an amendment that would have funded 18,000 more Border Patrol agents.
Kelly and Masters faced off in a debate, the first and likely only one in the race for one of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a>’s seats in the U.S. Senate, in Phoenix on Thursday evening. The two major party candidates were joined on stage by Libertarian candidate Marc Victor.
Shortly after opening remarks, Kelly and Masters entered a back-and-forth over immigration and inflation. Masters hit Kelly over his votes on the Inflation Reduction Act by contrasting the bill’s funding of up to 87,000 additional IRS employees and Kelly’s vote against an amendment that would have funded an additional 18,000 Border Patrol agents to help handle the immigration crisis.
“Mark Kelly said no to 18,000 more Border Patrol agents, but yes to 87,000 new IRS agents. That shows you what his priorities are,” Masters said. “Mark Kelly left our southern border wide open, voted for all the trillions in spending that caused this massive inflation, and he thinks the fix is 87,000 new IRS agents.”
Kelly stated that he voted for additional resources for the U.S. Border Patrol in other votes.
“There are votes that happen in D.C. that have nothing to do with Border Patrol agents, and it might have the title on it and nothing happens, right? So what I have done is I got $1 billion more for Border Patrol agents, for staffing, you know, for the technical systems to monitor the border, and, where they make sense, to build more border barriers,” Kelly said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="WATCH LIVE: 2022 Arizona Senate Debate featuring Mark Kelly, Blake Masters and Marc Victor" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vt7oJ1lnfro?start=840&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-signs-740-billion-inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> the Inflation Reduction Act, which is <a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2022/8/12/senate-passed-inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to have no near-term impact on inflation, into law in August after the legislation was passed through both chambers of Congress with no GOP support. The bill allocated $740 billion toward the IRS, Affordable Care Act subsidies, and green energy subsidies and tax credits among other spending.
The IRS’s portion was $80 billion, allowing the agency to potentially hire tens of thousands more agents to conduct audits and enforce the tax code.

Blake Masters, Mark Kelly

‘Shows You What His Priorities Are’: Blake Masters Hits Mark Kelly For Backing Biden’s IRS Buildup

2022 Midterms

Arizona

Blake Masters

Mark Kelly

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Senate</a> passed a stopgap bill Thursday, seeking to avoid a partial government shutdown while also sending billions of dollars more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-simply-have-to-step-back-the-realist-approach-to-war-in-ukraine-and-americas-european-allies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to Ukraine</a>.
The legislation passed 72-25 and would keep the government funded through the middle of December. Along with creating a path for the federal government to avoid a shutdown, the Senate also approved more than $12 billion in additional aid for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a>, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-set-to-approve-stopgap-bill-to-fund-government-provide-more-ukraine-aid-11664469820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The House will have until Friday night, when the current fiscal year ends, to send the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk.
“This legislation avoids a very bad thing—shutting down the government—and does a lot of good things: money for the people of Ukraine, funding for communities reeling from natural disasters, aid to families with their heating bills, just to name a few,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on the floor of the Senate.
If the bill passes the House and gets Biden’s signature, Ukraine will receive $3 billion for training and equipment and for salaries and stipends for its soldiers. Another $4.5 billion will go to support the Ukrainian government’s budget. The U.S. has already committed upwards of $40 billion to Ukraine since the end of January, more than every country in the world combined, <a href="https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to figures from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
“Assisting Ukraine is not some feel-good, symbolic gesture,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) <a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-passes-shutdown-bill-d4c21a9bd5872990466c0f1bc188c93e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “It’s literally an investment in our own national security and that of our allies.”
Notably missing from the Senate’s legislation was Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) energy project deal. Manchin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-deal-manchins-permitting-reform-side-deal-cut-out-of-government-funding-bill-at-the-last-minute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> struck the deal with Democratic leadership to include an overhaul of the U.S. energy permitting system in a continuing budget resolution — to avoid a looming government shutdown — in exchange for his vote on the “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a>,” the Democrats’ $740 billion tax and spending plan. But Manchin’s deal was on thin ice from the start due to bipartisan opposition.
“It is unfortunate that members of the United States Senate are allowing politics to put the energy security of our nation at risk,” Manchin said in a statement on Twitter Tuesday. “The last several months, we have seen firsthand the destruction that is possible as Vladimir Putin continues to weaponize energy. A failed vote on something as critical as comprehensive permitting reform only serves to embolden leaders like Putin who wish to see America fail.”
John Rigolizzo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-deal-manchins-permitting-reform-side-deal-cut-out-of-government-funding-bill-at-the-last-minute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contributed</a> to this report.

Chuck Schumer/Mitch McConnell

Senate Passes Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown, Send Billions More In Aid To Ukraine

Senate Passes Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown, Send Over $12 Billion More To Ukraine

Chuck Schumer

Government Shutdown

Joe Manchin

Mitch McConnell

U.S. Senate

Ukraine

Treasury Secretary <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/janet-yellen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janet Yellen</a> lauded the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a> on Tuesday for producing $430 billion in spending to modernize the American <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> system.
The legislation, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-signs-740-billion-inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> by President Joe Biden last month, bankrolled various <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewable</a> power subsidies and tax credits. During a <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> delivered at Cypress Creek Renewables, a solar power producer in North Carolina, Yellen said that the law will “accelerate the transition to our green energy future and lower energy costs for American households and businesses.”
“For decades, the world has been too slow to act. But strong action by the federal government is finally here,” she remarked. “While there is much more to do, I believe we now have a clear and robust plan forward. I am confident about the direction of the sustainable future that we are building together.”
Among other measures, the Inflation Reduction Act greenlit electric vehicle tax credits of $7,500 for new cars and $4,000 for used cars, as well as 30% tax credits for home solar energy systems, according to a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/16/fact-sheet-how-the-inflation-reduction-act-builds-a-better-future-for-young-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> from the White House. Meanwhile, Yellen said that business tax credits will further “push down the costs of clean energy production.”
“Government must provide the basic foundations and long-term certainty that businesses need to invest at scale and drive the transition toward a clean energy future,” she contended. “In large part due to concerted government investment, costs for key renewable energy technologies have already seen declines upwards of 75% over the past decade.”
Although the costs of renewable energy have been decreasing, nonrenewable fuels are often the most inexpensive source of electricity, according to an <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/projected-costs-of-generating-electricity-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the International Energy Agency. While coal and natural gas have median costs of $88 per megawatt-hour and $71 per megawatt-hour, respectively, commercial solar power and geothermal energy cost $94 per megawatt-hour and $99 per megawatt-hour, respectively.
“Over the past two years in particular, we’ve seen the direct consequences of our continued dependence on fossil fuels. Not only do we continue to contribute and subject ourselves to a rapidly warming climate,” Yellen continued, “but we expose ourselves to the type of energy market volatility we’ve experienced in the wake of Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine. No country controls the wind and the sun. And countries that can harness those sources of energy will make their economies more resilient and secure.”
Rapid increases in energy prices have caused much of the inflation observed over the past two years. However, Biden has advanced renewable energy policies while <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-severely-cuts-back-on-oil-and-gas-leases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leasing</a> the lowest amount of federal land for oil drilling since the conclusion of World War II and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/keystone-pipeline-dead-killed-by-biden-thousands-of-jobs-lost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nixing</a> expansions to the Keystone XL pipeline project. Energy prices increased nearly 24% between August 2021 and August 2022, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Ahead of upcoming nationwide midterm elections, the economy and inflation are key issues among voters, with 84% considering the former to be a top factor influencing their ballot. The Republican Party leads the Democratic Party by a 16% margin and a 19% margin with respect to trust on handling the economy and inflation, respectively, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-midterm-poll-spells-bad-news-for-democrats-on-the-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from ABC News and The Washington Post.
The national average price of gasoline was $2.38 per gallon when Biden assumed office and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-are-1-50-higher-since-biden-took-office-cnn-business-america-got-a-raise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> to $3.53 per gallon by the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After surpassing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$5.00 per gallon</a> in early June, prices have subsided to $3.75 per gallon as of Tuesday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA.

Treasury Secretary Yellen Speaks At The Atlantic Festival In Washington, DC

‘No Country Controls The Wind And The Sun’: Janet Yellen Touts Hundreds Of Billions In Climate Spending

Yellen Explains Why Climate Investments Under The Inflation Reduction Act Are Necessary

I&#8217;ve covered politics for 35 years, so let me tell you one thing I&#8217;ve learned: the president of the party you oppose is not always wrong.
Wrong a lot, sure, does things you don&#8217;t agree with, certainly, but sometimes, that guy gets it just right. And if you&#8217;re able to take your partisan hat off for just a minute, you&#8217;d see it.
Take Joe Biden (boo, hiss). He popped up to New York City to address the United Nations, as presidents do in September each year, and he hit one out of the park like Aaron Judge does just up the road in Yankee Stadium.
Biden delivered an address to the General Assembly shortly after Russian despot Vladimir Putin gave his own speech, nuttily warning the West that nuclear war is still an option, that he&#8217;s drafting young Russians into the war, that he&#8217;ll never quit until he gets what he wants.
&#8220;Let us speak plainly. A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map,&#8221; Biden told foreign leaders.
&#8220;Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations Charter — no more important than the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force.&#8221;
&#8220;Again, just today, President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime. Now Russia is calling — calling up more soldiers to join the fight. And the Kremlin is organizing a sham referenda to try to annex parts of Ukraine, an extremely significant violation of the U.N. Charter,&#8221; the president said.
There, in a succinct nutshell, is the situation in eastern Europe, where Russia has been at war with Ukraine since invading in February.
Biden then told the world leaders just what they needed to do.
&#8220;Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe &#8230; that should make your blood run cold. That’s why 141 nations in the General Assembly came together to unequivocally condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine.&#8221;
&#8220;So, we — each of us in this body who is determined to uphold the principles and beliefs we pledge to defend as members of the United Nations — must be clear, firm, and unwavering in our resolve,&#8221; Biden said.
The president delivered a clarion call to action — then mucked it all up with the kind of woke, hyper-liberal nonsense you&#8217;d expect to hear from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and one of her silly Squad members.
Biden claimed climate change is among the top global challenges &#8220;that matter most to people’s lives.”
Not only does climate change routinely come in the low-single digits in U.S. surveys, but even Biden doesn&#8217;t much care about the issue. He skipped a U.N. roundtable on climate action Wednesday.
The president went on and on about the climate package within his Inflation Reduction Act, declaring spending $370 billion on the issue will be a “global game-changer.&#8221;
He then proceeded with a lengthy list of platitudes:
<ul>
<li>&#8220;We believe strongly in the need to feed the world&#8230;&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;The United States will always promote human rights&#8230;&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;The time has come for this institution to become more inclusive&#8230;&#8221;</li>
</ul>
Biden nailed the part on Russia, then diluted his address by focusing on a problem that has killed far fewer people than Putin.
And that&#8217;s a shame.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

77th United Nations General Assembly in New York

Biden Got It All Right In U.N. Address — Until He Got It All Wrong

President Joe Biden Got It All Right In U.N. Address — Until He Got It All Wrong

United Nations

Vladimir Putin

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-manchin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Manchin&#8217;s</a> (D-WV) side deal with Democrats on permitting reform is continuing to break down, as Republicans are now signaling their opposition.
In exchange for his vote on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a>, Manchin struck a deal with Democratic leadership to include a bill reforming the energy permitting system in a stopgap government funding bill. House Democrats already signaled their opposition to the provision over concerns about the climate impacts of new energy projects. But Senate Republicans made opposition to Manchin&#8217;s proposal bipartisan, and are now advancing a bill of their own.
“If you’re now looking for Republicans to support and give you more cover than you have right now, you’re not going to find it with us,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) told reporters this week, via <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3642917-gop-expresses-hostility-to-manchin-permitting-reform-campaign/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
Prominent Republicans in both chambers of Congress are skeptical of Manchin&#8217;s side deal, and wary that he will have to make concessions to appease progressives. “We’ve seen permitting reforms that happened around the highway bill, infrastructure bill, and the administration just kind of swaps them off and ignores them,” Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) said at a press conference Tuesday, via The Hill. “So the question is, are their teeth in these reforms?”
“So far what Joe’s put out is a <a href="https://www.manchin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/energy_permitting_provisions.pdf?cb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one-page template</a> — I haven’t seen anything else — and like I said, it’s not very ambitious in my view. It’s not enough for me to get to ‘yes,’ because frankly I don’t know why I would want to facilitate mediocrity,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) told The Hill.
&#8220;Republicans historically have strongly supported permitting reform, but the permitting reform text in the CR hasn&#8217;t been released and it may favor Green New Deal projects to appease [Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl M.] Grijalva and the 70+ Democrats who&#8217;ve pledged to vote against it,&#8221; House Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks (R-IN) said in a <a href="https://banks.house.gov/uploadedfiles/cr_memo_real_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> to his colleagues discussing expectations for the rest of Congress&#8217; term, adding that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) needs the votes of those 70 Democrats to pass any government funding bill.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) also opposed the proposal being tacked onto a budget resolution. “I think putting it on a CR is problematic,&#8221; Collins told The Hill. &#8220;It’s a major policy issue.&#8221;
Instead, Republicans in the Senate have proposed their own legislation to reform the permit system. Barrasso and fellow Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis introduced the <a href="https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=4A61356D-03E5-4F04-81A3-29946C98C51A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simplify Timelines and Assure Regulatory Transparency (START) Act</a> Tuesday. The bill codifies much of the Trump administration&#8217;s streamlined environmental regulations, prohibits the Biden administration&#8217;s much higher estimates for the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-likely-to-restart-oil-and-gas-leases-after-federal-court-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social cost of carbon</a>&#8221; in new energy projects, and gives states much more power to grant energy permits and develop new energy projects within their boundaries, including on federal land. The bill also includes expedited approval for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, one of the priorities in Manchin&#8217;s proposal.
Manchin&#8217;s &#8220;side deal&#8221; showed its first signs of falling apart last week, when <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/manchins-inflation-reduction-act-side-deal-beginning-to-fall-apart-dozens-of-democrats-signal-opposition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 70 House Democrats</a> signed a letter voicing their opposition to permitting reform. The Democrats said in the letter that the proposed reforms were “anti-environmental and anti-environmental justice,” and that they would negatively impact so-called &#8220;frontline&#8221; communities of color. The same day, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) voiced his opposition to the deal in a floor speech. “I am urging all of my colleagues to … reject this dirty side deal,&#8221; he said.

Top Defense Officials Testify Before Senate Armed Services Committee On Afghanistan And Counterterrorism

Manchin’s Permitting Reform Side Deal Collapsing As Republicans Blast Bill And Propose Their Own

Joe Manchin's Side Deal On Permitting Reform Collapsing Under Bipartisan Opposition, Republicans Introducing Their Own Plan

Republicans

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