WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to pass an end-of-year spending omnibus bill. The package also included extensions of tax provisions and legislation to lift the ban on U.S. exports of crude oil.
“This omnibus and tax bill contains many good provisions, including those I was proud to fight for on behalf of Oregon in the Appropriations Committee and important tax provisions to help working families that Senator Wyden worked hard to secure. Unfortunately, it has been packaged into a mega-bill that also includes a repeal of the ban on crude oil exports. This repeal is a huge mistake, and because of its inclusion in this package, I could not support this bill today.
“The essential challenge facing human civilization today is to transition quickly from a fossil fuel economy to one built on renewable energy. The United States needs to provide leadership in this vital global effort, as we did in Paris last week. Lifting the oil export ban harms not only our efforts to make that transition but also the credibility of our leadership.”
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