Environmental and Energy Study Conference Special Report: Energy Tax Debate Looms Over Budget Conference.

摘要

The size and shape of a proposed energy tax -- or whether to have one at all -- looms as a key issue confronting conferees as they prepare to meet Thursday to begin trying to reconcile House and Senate versions of a five-year deficit-reduction bill. Despite strong resistance in both houses, President Clinton is insisting that some form of an energy tax be included in the budget reconciliation bill. But conferees will be hard-pressed to find a politically viable compromise between House and Senate energy tax proposals that bear little resemblance to each other and that passed their respective chambers by the slimmest of margins.