George Zornick on May 10, 2012 - 2:21 PM ET

Over the next ten years, the oil, gas and coal industries are slated to receive $113 billion in taxpayer subsidies—that’s six times the rate at which clean energy initiatives are subsidized. Americans will fund everything from development research for the industry to loan guarantees. There are all kinds of absurd tax breaks—for example, since 1951 the coal industry has been allowed to treat income from coal mines as capital gains, which is now taxed at a 15 percent maximum, instead of as regular income like most other businesses in the country.

Democrats have often presented bills to end a various portions of these subsidies, but a new bicameral bill—introduced by Bernie Sanders in the Senate and Keith Ellison in the House—would wipe out every last subsidy and tax break the industry receives.

“In these difficult economic times, it is imperative that we support the taxpayers of this country, the working people of this country, and not the fossil fuel industry—one of the most powerful and profitable industries in the world,” said Sanders at a rally Thursday morning outside the Capitol building.

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Several speakers at the rally presented spoke not only of legislative action, but activism as well. “The American people have yet to fully muster our great and awesome power,” said Ellison, who has a petition on his website to end polluter welfare. “But when we do, we will wipe these subsidies right out of the box.”

More: http://www.thenation.com/blog/167831/congressional-push-end-all-fossil-fuel-subsidies