Markey, Holt Ask GAO to Expand GOP Energy Subsidy Analysis

Previous Requests Tailored to Ignore Tax Breaks Given to Oil and Gas

WASHINGTON (November 14, 2012) – Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rush Holt (D-N.J.) today asked the Government Accountability Office to expand their previously-requested study into energy subsidies to include all forms of federal support for various energy technologies since the first creation of tax subsidies for the oil and gas industry in 1916. Reps. Markey and Holt asked today for this expansion of GAO’s work due to narrow requests sent by Republican Reps. Fred Upton, Ed Whitfield, Tim Murphy and Mike Pompeo to the agency that was written to ignore certain taxpayer support to the oil and gas and nuclear industries.

“Understanding the totality of these subsidies is imperative in evaluating federal support for energy industries like the oil and gas sector,” writes Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee and Rep. Holt, the Ranking Member on the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, to the GAO. “Such a report will enable Congress and the American people to obtain a clearer understanding of the full range of federal subsidies and benefits provided to established and incumbent energy industries such as oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy, as well as incentives provided to newer energy providers such as wind, solar, and other renewables.”

The letter from Reps. Markey and Holt to the GAO can be found HERE.