Memo: Voters Support Green Bailouts of Industry

By Julian Brave NoiseCat and Ethan Winter

Executive Summary

The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is jeopardizing the bottom lines of the cruise, airline, clean energy and fossil fuel industries, among others. Many companies in these sectors have already received federal funds as part of the recently passed CARES Act, while others are requesting bailouts in future bills. On Tuesday May 5, Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR) introduced the ReWIND Act, which would prevent the Trump Administration from using CARES Act funding to bail out the fossil fuel industry. Federal bailouts provide progressives with an opportunity to apply regulations, invest in research, and take an equity stake in these companies; key strategies to tackle the climate crisis as we restart the economy after the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Voters prefer supporting clean energy companies rather than oil and gas companies with bailouts by a 24-percentage-point margin.

  • Voters support green conditions to a bailout of the cruise industry by a 36-percentage-point margin.

  • Voters support green conditions to a bailout of the aviation industry by a 22-point margin.

  • Voters support the government taking an ownership stake in corporations that receive a bailout by a 17-point margin.

Green New DealGuest UserClimate, Taxes and Spending, Economy