The Department of Energy Must No Longer Receive Loan Guarantees

Abolish the Department of Energy?

When it comes to fiscal responsibility, the United States is in serious trouble. Time and time again, our nation’s lawmakers continue to pass large spending bills that ramp up inflation and leave everyday people struggling. 

Many of these folks include veterans who’ve put everything they have on the line to fight for our nation’s freedoms. To say they’re not receiving their well-deserved thanks would be a massive understatement. Far too often, these brave soldiers are left behind after their military service. Many veterans are homeless or on the brink of homelessness. 

The Veterans Affairs department certainly isn’t doing its job in making sure that service members receive necessary healthcare and other essential services. This explains why so many tragically end up committing suicide after longstanding mental health struggles. 

It goes without saying that something has to give. We cannot continue on as we have been. Thankfully, Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul has proposed a much needed solution.

No More Wasteful Loans for the DoE

So far, the Department of Energy has been a recipient of $2.9 billion worth of green energy loans. Democrats, if they had their way, would keep this going, despite everything that’s currently at stake. 

Sen. Paul, on the other hand, recognizes this $2.9 billion would be much better put to use in going towards veterans benefits. This is why the Kentucky Republican formally submitted a congressional amendment to transfer these funds accordingly.

With Veterans Affairs being completely depleted, many service members are barely hanging on by a thread. If Paul’s amendment comes to pass, veterans will receive the care, support, and services that they need. Taking these funds from the Department of Energy’s loans also avoids adding one penny more to the national debt. 

It’s not like the department is in dire need of these funds, either. Over the years, this agency has come under fire for squandering money on wasteful projects. A series of companies that defaulted on these loans also ended up sticking taxpayers with an $807 million tab. 

Paul is right to suggest the $2.9 billion goes elsewhere, namely to a worthwhile cause which involves looking after our veterans. The Republican congressman also made it clear that his amendment would reform Veterans Affairs and clean up the dysfunction which has tainted the agency for years. 

If we continue to let agencies like the Energy Department waste billions of dollars, our country will be all the worse off for it.

Don’t Expect This to Pass Without a Fight

Despite the very clear merits of Paul’s proposed amendment, Democrats are bound to fight it at each and every turn. At the end of the day, left-wing officials have no problem with wasteful spending. Democrats also have a track record of ignoring fiscal challenges, along with the problems that our veterans face after their military service.

Green energy is central to the radical leftist agenda. This means we the people can expect Democrats to smear Paul’s proposal and undermine the myriad of problems stemming from wasteful spending. They may even claim the Republican senator is “anti science” and accuse him of wanting to stop advancements in “clean energy.”

A New Congress is Desperately Needed

If the House and Senate had conservative majorities, reversing $2.9 billion in green energy loans and redirecting that towards our veterans wouldn’t even be a question. We would have already passed Sen. Paul’s amendment and gotten one step closer towards cleaning up the Veterans Affairs department. 

Right now, the proposal remains in limbo, but this can change very soon. Next month, Americans will have the chance to vote in key House and Senate elections. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative to elect patriotic conservatives who care about this country and the veterans who’ve served it.

We can’t afford to keep reelecting RINOs or Democrats whose only interests lie in protecting the deep state. America needs leaders who are willing to put the interests of our veterans before the agendas of Green New Deal radicals. The Energy Department can go without $2.9 billion in loans, but our service members cannot go without the necessary support and care after coming back home. 

If patriots show up on Election Day and vote red in droves, we can take the first step towards looking after our veterans. This means investing $2.9 billion in caring for these service members, providing the necessary medical care, and making sure their families are taken care of. 

Without meaningful action along these lines, our taxpayer dollars will continue going to waste as left-wing officials treat these funds like monopoly money. In 2024, the stakes are too high for everything to continue on as though it’s all working out well. There is no more room for tried and failed policies.  

All things considered, November 5 could very well be our last opportunity to right the wrong of the past and get back on track.