Senators Push Back on Trump’s Call for Selling Energy Assets
President Donald Trump’s proposal to sell energy facilities as a way to partially back a long-term infrastructure funding plan has been met with bipartisan opposition on Capitol Hill.
Twenty-one senators have called on Energy Secretary Rick Perry to reject a proposal in the fiscal 2018 budget request aimed at auctioning power marketing administrations, or PMAs, to promote investments in infrastructure. PMA transmission assets include power lines, towers, substations and rights of way.
“Sale of the PMA transmission facilities would not advance the president’s infrastructure objectives," the senators wrote on June 7. "In fact, privatization of existing assets could affect opportunities for new infrastructure investments. Moreover, any private entity buying PMA assets will want to recover their investment. The resulting rate increases would take money out of the pockets of consumers and businesses in our states.”
Senators who signed the letter included Republicans John Boozman of Arkansas, Steve Daines of Montana and Mike Crapo of Idaho. Democrats included Maria Cantwell of Washington, Dianne Feinstein of California, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Al Franken of Minnesota. They focused on the Bonneville Power Administration, the Southeastern Power Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration and the Western Power Administration.
In a report released June 7, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who led a populist movement during the 2016 presidential campaign, also criticized Trump’s push to privatize the transportation network and to sell off assets.
“Under Trump’s proposal, billionaires on Wall Street, wealthy campaign contributors and even foreign governments would receive hundreds of billions in tax breaks to purchase our highways, airports and water treatment plants," according to the report. "They would then be allowed to impose huge new tolls and fees on the backs of American commuters and homeowners. Trump’s so-called infrastructure plan is a huge giveaway to Wall Street that fails to create the millions of jobs we need to modernize our roads, bridges, water systems, rail, airports, levees and dams.”
