Oh, yes. I think we should clean up all those loopholes. And don't forget, there's a lot of corporate welfare spending that is in our budget put in there by both political parties because of powerful interests. We want to get rid of all that.
This came on the heels of an interview with Bloomberg TV, in which the congressman said he favored ending the subsidies because he didn't "want the government to be picking winners and losers in the tax code or through spending."
And he's being joined by Republican members of both houses. Last month, Sen. Mark Kirk came out against the subsidies, telling C-SPAN (and echoing the president) that the oil companies are "doing just fine on their own."
And a spokesperson for Rep. Reid Ribble from Wisconsin issued this statement: "He thinks that all energy subsidies should be thoroughly reviewed in this upcoming budget. He believes energy companies should stand on their own without subsidy."
Ribble's colleague from Georgia, Rep. Tom Graves, while not calling for a direct halt, admitted the subsidies are "a manipulation of the market place."
Ending oil and gas subsidies won't remake our energy policy overnight. But continuing these egregious subsidies to companies making billions of dollars in profits counteracts any free-market incentive they'd have to develop alternatives -- and thus only lengthens the amount of time we're subsidizing repressive governments around the world.
The mission to bring Osama bin Laden to justice was a great victory and a testament to the brave soldiers who carried it out. And it came at a time when such clear and present victories no longer seemed possible. But there's no reason why this sense of tangible achievement must end in Abbottabad. There are so many issues -- some small, some big, but all worthwhile, tangible and concrete -- that we agree on. Or at least that we could agree on, if only a president with newfound political capital were to spend some of it to get a few more victories under our collective belt.
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