The Most Bipartisan Part of the Infrastructure Bill: Corporate Welfare

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE T he bipartisan infrastructure bill that just passed the Senate contains something that truly cuts across party lines: corporate welfare. The 2,700 pages of legislation are stuffed with freebies for the companies and causes adored by the political class, especially of the green variety. While supporters are selling the bill as a major investment in innovation, history and common sense indicate that taxpayers can expect very poor returns from these handouts.

The bill contains at least $21.5 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy to dole out to bureaucracy-approved initiatives. These include everything from hydrogen hubs to carbon capture to “clean manufacturing” …