Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, announced her plans to take action to protect West Virginia by eliminating several of the many egregious provisions in the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spending spree should the legislation move forward. On Friday night, Democrats passed a rule to advance consideration of separate legislation to pursue their partisan reckless tax-and-spending spree in the coming weeks.
“On Friday night, House Democrats took a procedural step to advance the most radical, left-wing legislation in American history. From a massive increase in the state and local tax deduction to benefit wealthy residents in high-tax blue states to a natural gas tax that will increase energy costs for working families, the Democrats’ multi-trillion dollar bill is full of special interest giveaways to progressive interests. The bill is so extreme that House Democrats struggled to unite around it last week.
“Should House Democrats eventually pass their partisan reckless tax-and-spending spree legislation, there are three provisions—among many others—that I will be especially aggressive in fighting against due to the tremendously negative and direct impacts they would have on West Virginia jobs. If the House fails to defeat this reconciliation bill, I will use every tool available under the rules in the Senate to try to remove these provisions, along with others, that will harm so many West Virginians. One of those tools is making sure that there is an individual up-or-down vote on each of these three provisions should they come before the Senate. All Americans deserve to know where their senators stand on these issues.”
DETAILS ON THE AMENDMENDMENTS SENATOR CAPITO PLANS TO INTRODUCE SHOULD RECONCILIATION MOVE FORWARD IN THE SENATE:
- An amendment to eliminate an unfair special interest subsidy from the legislation so that West Virginia workers—like those at the Toyota Buffalo plant—can compete on a level playing field: The Democrats’ legislation includes a $4,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases that only applies to vehicles built at union facilities. This provision uses the tax code to prioritize some American workers over others. If this provision were to become law, West Virginia workers at the Toyota plant in Buffalo—and tens of thousands of other Americans around the country—would be at significant competitive disadvantage because cars made by unionized competitors would be $4,500 cheaper, courtesy of federal taxpayers. Senator Capito firmly believes that Congress should not put its thumb on the scale and prioritize one American worker over another by tampering with competitive markets. As a result, Senator Capito will fight for West Virginia jobs—particularly those at the Toyota Buffalo plant—by offering this amendment.
- An amendment that strikes a provision included in the Democrats’ legislation to reduce flexibility and give Washington, D.C. unchecked power over states’ transportation decisions: The Democrats’ legislation include a provision that instructs the Federal Highway Administration to impose undefined “consequences” on states that fail to achieve their targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This open-ended provision would give the Biden administration new power that could restrict a state’s ability to use their federal funding to build and upgrade our roads or bridges. Congress worked together in a bipartisan way to pass an infrastructure bill that includes a 35% increase in formula funding that is designed to give states’ flexibility to use resources to meet their own unique transportation needs. This provision in the reckless tax and spending spree legislation seeks to undo that flexibility and give Washington unchecked power over a state’s transportation decisions. As a result, Senator Capito’s amendment would strike this provision in order to preserve West Virginia’s ability to use federal funding on critical road and bridge projects across our state.
- An amendment to strike a provision that would allow the Biden EPA to implement similar regulations to the Obama-era Clean Power Plan: The Democrats’ legislation includes $45 million to provide the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with resources and authority to impose new greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act. This provision will help EPA design and implement new regulations similar to the Obama administration Clean Power Plan, or something that is even worse. There is no reason for Congress to provide EPA with new resources or authority to impose job-killing regulations on West Virginia, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to grant certiorari in the West Virginia v. EPA litigation. As a result, Senator Capito’s amendment would stand up for jobs in West Virginia’s critical energy sector.
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