Early in April, both houses of Congress passed a resolution which will allow them to work toward passing a budget using a budget reconciliation process that, unlike in 2022, will be in control of the Republican Party.

Our congressman, Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, is the chair of the Subcommittee on Tax within the House Ways and Means Committee, which means that he is a key player in the process that will eventually decide what is included in the final budget legislation sent to the Senate.

The main goal of this budget reconciliation is to extend the tax cuts that were passed in 2017 while minimizing the increase in the national debt. So every source of funds that can be cut from the current budget will be seen as contributing to that minimization.

Those of us who realize that migrating to a clean energy economy is the only way to keep the planet habitable for future generations are pushing hard to keep in place the green energy tax credits that were included in the Inflation Reduction Act to hasten that migration.

If you would like to join in that effort, contact Congressman Kelly’s office by phone — 202-225-5406 for his Washington office — or by email through his website, kelly.house.gov/contact, and ask that the green energy tax credits not be ended to pay for extending the tax cuts, which will mostly benefit the wealthy.

Bruce Cooper, Cranberry Township, leader of Slippery Rock chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby