House GOP budget targets Obama’s environmental agenda

House Republicans are using their budget proposal to push cuts to renewable energy incentives and climate change programs.

The spending blueprint released Tuesday by the GOP says those programs are wasteful and pick winners and losers, and that the government should streamline energy programs and put more effort into increasing domestic oil and natural gas production.

{mosads}“More affordable energy will keep more money in the pockets of hard-working citizens,” the House Budget Committee, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), wrote in its federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2016. “When coupled with limited regulations based on common sense, we will empower American businesses from high tech industries to American farmers.”

The budget document reflects a common talking point: the United States is in the midst of a major energy renaissance and the federal government needs to get out of the way while doing what it can to help the increase in fossil fuel production.

It stands in stark contrast with the Obama administration’s attempts to increase renewable energy development and deployment. Secretary of State John Kerry highlighted this position last week when he called fossil fuels like coal and oil “outdated.”

The GOP wants immediately end green energy loan programs that started with the 2009 stimulus law and take down regulations and subsidies that favor some companies over others.

Republicans also highlighted climate change programs at the Department of Defense and the CIA as areas ripe for budget cuts.

“The Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, two of the most important agencies in our national security apparatus, currently spend part of their budget studying climate change,” the GOP said, calling those programs some of the areas “ where there should be room to cut waste, eliminate redundancies and end the abuse or misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

As a whole, the budget would cut $5.5 trillion in spending over the next decade and balance spending and receipts within eight years.