Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy may not fulfill his longtime quest to put a price on some polluting imports before he leaves Congress, but he’s proud to have put Republicans in the fight to cut global emissions.
And while President Donald Trump continues to gut clean energy funding and programs, Cassidy is touting his work to protect investments and tax incentives for low-emissions industries caught in the crossfire, like carbon capture and hydrogen.
“If nothing else, I’ve moved the Overton window,” Cassidy told POLITICO in a recent sit-down interview, where he reflected on his policy legacy after a primary loss last month to a Trump-backed challenger cut short his time on Capitol Hill.
A member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Cassidy is best known among energy wonks in recent years for long-shot push for Congress to impose a fee on products imported from high greenhouse gas-emitting countries, a move aimed at protecting U.S. manufacturers from competition from China.
