Latest news with #RonWyden
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Democrats demand answers as Palantir faces heat over Trump deals to build massive American data hub
Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have raised concerns about Palantir's government contracts, particularly regarding the creation of a comprehensive taxpayer database. They fear this database, potentially overseen by Elon Musk's DOGE, could lead to illegal sharing of private information and domestic spying, violating Americans' rights. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why lawmakers are alarmed Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Palantir's controversies FAQs A group of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Palantir's CEO Alex Karp on Monday, asking for answers about huge government contracts the company got. The lawmakers are worried that Palantir is helping make a huge database of Americans private information, which might break U.S. laws, according to reports by the Associated Press and New York Ron Wyden from Oregon and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York wrote the letter and was signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley, Ed Markey. They pointed to a New York Times report that said Palantir got hundreds of millions of dollars in new government contracts during Trump's second term, as per the report by Common to the letter, Palantir employees are working inside the IRS to help build a single, searchable database of taxpayer records. This private taxpayer data could be shared across the government, even when it's not related to tax stuff, which is likely illegal under U.S. tools were reportedly chosen for this project by a group called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by Elon Musk. Several people in DOGE are said to be former Palantir lawmakers called the mega-database plan a 'surveillance nightmare', saying it could help Trump spy on people he sees as enemies. They warned that Palantir's software could be used in domestic spying that violates Americans' rights, according to the report by Common letter listed Trump's past actions that they believe show he misused power, including threatening to arrest the governor of California, using National Guard troops for immigration raids without approval, sending Marines to Los Angeles against local wishes, and calling the press 'the enemy of the people'.The lawmakers said Palantir also helped with ICE deportation operations and deadly military actions carried out by the U.S. and its allies. The letter didn't mention Palantir's role in Project Nimbus, a cloud deal with Israel's military, Amazon, and Google, which some say is linked to human rights abuses, as stated in the report by Common the lawmakers did say that other big companies like IBM, Cisco, and Honeywell have also been part of human rights abuses in places like Nazi Germany, apartheid South Africa, China, Saudi Arabia, and asked the CEO to provide a full list of Palantir's government contracts. The amount of money for each and the federal agencies involved. Whether Palantir has any limits when it comes to working with groups that violate human rights, as reported by Common they think Palantir is helping build a big database of Americans' private info that might break U.S. want details about the company's government contracts and whether it follows human rights rules.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats Press Palantir for Contract Details Over Privacy, IRS Access Concerns
A group of Democratic lawmakers is demanding answers from Palantir (PLTR, Financials) over its federal contracts, warning the company may be assisting the Trump administration in creating a government-wide database that could include sensitive taxpayer information. The inquiry comes after The New York Times reported that Palantir is in talks with multiple federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration, to expand use of its Foundry data platform. In a letter released Tuesday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and six other lawmakers wrote that the company is enabling and profiting from serious violations of Federal law by the Trump Administration, which is amassing troves of data on Americans to create a government-wide, searchable mega-database' containing the sensitive taxpayer data of American citizens. They added, This potential mega-database' at the IRS and elsewhere also raises myriad potential violations of privacy laws designed to strictly limit those who can access the tax return records of individuals and businesses. The letter cited provisions in the Internal Revenue Code and the Privacy Act of 1974, which restrict how personal and tax data may be used or shared across agencies. Palantir has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement, the company said, Palantir is not building a master database. Palantir is neither conducting nor enabling mass surveillance of American citizens. No amount of parroting of this false accusation will make it true. In a follow-up letter shared publicly, Palantir wrote, Palantir's software is built at every stage to uphold, not undermine, legal and regulatory protections as well as the ethics and standards that help institutions govern the appropriate uses of powerful technologies. The company also objected to how the story was reported, stating, We object very strongly to The New York Times, or anyone, portraying technology and privacy as opposing forces; we believe that, done well, they reinforce each other. Despite the company's denial, lawmakers are requesting that Palantir disclose a full list of its federal contracts, whether it has sought liability protections, and if it maintains any internal red lines for terminating service to the government in cases of legal or human rights violations. Palantir has not publicly confirmed whether it will comply with the request. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats Press Palantir for Contract Details Over Privacy, IRS Access Concerns
A group of Democratic lawmakers is demanding answers from Palantir (PLTR, Financials) over its federal contracts, warning the company may be assisting the Trump administration in creating a government-wide database that could include sensitive taxpayer information. The inquiry comes after The New York Times reported that Palantir is in talks with multiple federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration, to expand use of its Foundry data platform. In a letter released Tuesday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and six other lawmakers wrote that the company is enabling and profiting from serious violations of Federal law by the Trump Administration, which is amassing troves of data on Americans to create a government-wide, searchable mega-database' containing the sensitive taxpayer data of American citizens. They added, This potential mega-database' at the IRS and elsewhere also raises myriad potential violations of privacy laws designed to strictly limit those who can access the tax return records of individuals and businesses. The letter cited provisions in the Internal Revenue Code and the Privacy Act of 1974, which restrict how personal and tax data may be used or shared across agencies. Palantir has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement, the company said, Palantir is not building a master database. Palantir is neither conducting nor enabling mass surveillance of American citizens. No amount of parroting of this false accusation will make it true. In a follow-up letter shared publicly, Palantir wrote, Palantir's software is built at every stage to uphold, not undermine, legal and regulatory protections as well as the ethics and standards that help institutions govern the appropriate uses of powerful technologies. The company also objected to how the story was reported, stating, We object very strongly to The New York Times, or anyone, portraying technology and privacy as opposing forces; we believe that, done well, they reinforce each other. Despite the company's denial, lawmakers are requesting that Palantir disclose a full list of its federal contracts, whether it has sought liability protections, and if it maintains any internal red lines for terminating service to the government in cases of legal or human rights violations. Palantir has not publicly confirmed whether it will comply with the request. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
3 days ago
- Business
Senate Republicans double down and target clean energy in draft tax bill
Tax credits for clean energy and home energy efficiency would still be phased out, albeit less quickly, under Senate Republicans' latest proposed changes to a massive tax bill. Electric vehicle incentives and other provisions intended to move the United States away from fossil fuels would be gutted rapidly. Senate Republicans cast their version of the bill as less damaging to the clean energy industry than the version House Republicans passed last month, but Democrats and advocates criticized it, saying it would still have significant consequences for wind, solar and other projects. Ultimately, wherever Congress ends up could have a big impact on consumers, companies and others that were depending on tax credits for green energy investments. It could also impact long-term how quickly America transitions to renewable energies. 'They want everybody to believe that after the flawed House bill, that they have come up with a much more moderate climate approach," said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the finance committee, during a conference call with reporters Tuesday. 'The reality is, if the early projections on the clean energy cuts are accurate, the Senate Republican bill does almost 90%" as much damage as the House proposal, added Wyden, who authored clean energy tax credits included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act passed during former President Joe Biden's term. 'Let's not get too serious about this new Senate bill being a kinder, gentler approach.' The Edison Electric Institute, a trade association representing investor-owned electric companies, issued a statement applauding the Senate proposal for including 'more reasonable timelines for phasing out energy tax credits.' 'These modifications are a step in the right direction,' said the statement from Pat Vincent-Collawn, the institute's interim chief executive officer, adding that the changes balance 'business certainty with fiscal responsibility.' Whether all of the changes will be enacted into law isn't clear yet. The Senate can still modify its proposals before they go to a vote. Any conflicts in the draft legislation will have to be sorted out with the House as the GOP looks to fast-track the bill for a vote by President Donald Trump's imminent Fourth of July target. Notably, many Republicans in Congress have advocated to protect the clean-energy credits, which have overwhelmingly benefited Republican congressional districts. A report by the Atlas Public Policy research firm found that 77% of planned spending on credit-eligible projects are in GOP-held House districts. The clean energy tax credits stem from Biden's climate law, which aimed to boost to the nation's transition away from planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions and toward renewable energy such as wind and solar power. The House version of the bill took an ax to many of the credits and effectively made it impossible for wind and solar providers to meet the requirements and timelines necessary to qualify for the incentives. After the House vote, 13 House Republicans lobbied the Senate to preserve some of the clean energy incentives that GOP lawmakers had voted to erase. Language included Monday in the reconciliation bill from the Senate Finance Committee would still phase out — though more slowly than House lawmakers envisioned — some Biden-era green energy tax breaks. The Senate proposal further 'achieves significant savings by slashing Green New Deal spending and targeting waste, fraud and abuse in spending programs while preserving and protecting them for the most vulnerable,' said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho and chairman of the committee. On the chopping block are tax credits for residential rooftop solar installations, ending within 180 days of passage, and a subsidy for hydrogen production. Federal credits for wind and solar would have a longer phaseout than in the House version, but it would still be difficult for developers to meet the rules for beginning construction in order to receive the credit. At the same time, it would boost support for geothermal, nuclear and hydropower projects that begin construction by 2033. 'The bill will strip the ability of millions of American families to choose the energy savings, energy resilience, and energy freedom that solar and storage provide,' said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. 'If this bill passes as is, we cannot ensure an affordable, reliable and secure energy system.' Opponents of the Senate's text also decry domestic manufacturing job and economic losses as a result. 'This is a 20-pound sledgehammer swung at clean energy. It would mean higher energy prices, lost manufacturing jobs, shuttered factories, and a worsening climate crisis,' said Jackie Wong, senior vice president for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. The bill would also cancel incentives such as the Energy Efficient Home Improvement credit — which helps homeowners make improvements such as insulation or heating and cooling systems that reduce their energy usage and energy bills — 180 days after enactment. An incentive for builders constructing new energy-efficient homes and apartments would end 12 months after signing. The House's proposed end date for both is Dec. 31. 'Canceling these credits would increase monthly bills for American families and businesses,' Steven Nadel, executive director of the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy said in a statement. The Senate proposal moves up the timeline for ending the consumer electric vehicle tax credit from the end of this year to 180 days after passage. It also cuts the provision that would have extended until the end of 2026 a credit for automakers that had not made 200,000 qualifying EVs for U.S. sale. It would also immediately eliminate the $7,500 credit for leased EVs. This administration has staunchly gone after EVs amid Trump's targeting of what he calls a 'mandate,' incorrectly referring to a Biden-era target for half of new vehicle sales by 2030 be electric. ___
The Hill
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Senate Republicans double down and target clean energy in draft tax bill
Tax credits for clean energy and home energy efficiency would still be phased out, albeit less quickly, under Senate Republicans' latest proposed changes to a massive tax bill. Electric vehicle incentives and other provisions intended to move the United States away from fossil fuels would be gutted rapidly. Senate Republicans cast their version of the bill as less damaging to the clean energy industry than the version House Republicans passed last month, but Democrats and advocates criticized it, saying it would still have significant consequences for wind, solar and other projects. Ultimately, wherever Congress ends up could have a big impact on consumers, companies and others that were depending on tax credits for green energy investments. It could also impact long-term how quickly America transitions to renewable energies. 'They want everybody to believe that after the flawed House bill, that they have come up with a much more moderate climate approach,' said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the finance committee, during a conference call with reporters Tuesday. 'The reality is, if the early projections on the clean energy cuts are accurate, the Senate Republican bill does almost 90%' as much damage as the House proposal, added Wyden, who authored clean energy tax credits included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act passed during former President Joe Biden's term. 'Let's not get too serious about this new Senate bill being a kinder, gentler approach.' Whether all of the changes will be enacted into law isn't clear yet. The Senate can still modify its proposals before they go to a vote. Any conflicts in the draft legislation will have to be sorted out with the House as the GOP looks to fast-track the bill for a vote by President Donald Trump's imminent Fourth of July target. Notably, many Republicans in Congress have advocated to protect the clean-energy credits, which have overwhelmingly benefited Republican congressional districts. A report by the Atlas Public Policy research firm found that 77% of planned spending on credit-eligible projects are in GOP-held House districts. The clean energy tax credits stem from Biden's climate law, which aimed to boost to the nation's transition away from planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions and toward renewable energy such as wind and solar power. The House version of the bill took an ax to many of the credits and effectively made it impossible for wind and solar providers to meet the requirements and timelines necessary to qualify for the incentives. After the House vote, 13 House Republicans lobbied the Senate to preserve some of the clean energy incentives that GOP lawmakers had voted to erase. Language included Monday in the reconciliation bill from the Senate Finance Committee would still phase out — though more slowly than House lawmakers envisioned — some Biden-era green energy tax breaks. The Senate proposal further 'achieves significant savings by slashing Green New Deal spending and targeting waste, fraud and abuse in spending programs while preserving and protecting them for the most vulnerable,' said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho and chairman of the committee. On the chopping block are tax credits for residential rooftop solar installations, ending within 180 days of passage, and a subsidy for hydrogen production. Federal credits for wind and solar would have a longer phaseout than in the House version, but it would still be difficult for developers to meet the rules for beginning construction in order to receive the credit. At the same time, it would boost support for geothermal, nuclear and hydropower projects that begin construction by 2033. 'The bill will strip the ability of millions of American families to choose the energy savings, energy resilience, and energy freedom that solar and storage provide,' said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. 'If this bill passes as is, we cannot ensure an affordable, reliable and secure energy system.' Opponents of the Senate's text also decry domestic manufacturing job and economic losses as a result. 'This is a 20-pound sledgehammer swung at clean energy. It would mean higher energy prices, lost manufacturing jobs, shuttered factories, and a worsening climate crisis,' said Jackie Wong, senior vice president for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. 'Senators should take a hard look at the businesses creating jobs in their states and the reality of spiking electricity bills.' The bill would also cancel incentives such as the Energy Efficient Home Improvement credit — which helps homeowners make improvements such as insulation or heating and cooling systems that reduce their energy usage and energy bills — 180 days after enactment. An incentive for builders constructing new energy-efficient homes and apartments would end 12 months after signing. The House's proposed end date for both is Dec. 31. 'Canceling these credits would increase monthly bills for American families and businesses,' Steven Nadel, executive director of the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy said in a statement. 'Why would we stop helping families save energy when prices are going up and up? The Senate proposal moves up the timeline for ending the consumer electric vehicle tax credit from the end of this year to 180 days after passage. It also cuts the provision that would have extended until the end of 2026 a credit for automakers that had not made 200,000 qualifying EVs for U.S. sale. It would also immediately eliminate the $7,500 credit for leased EVs. This administration has staunchly gone after EVs amid Trump's targeting of what he calls a 'mandate,' incorrectly referring to a Biden-era target for half of new vehicle sales by 2030 be electric. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Daly in Washington and Jennifer McDermott in Providence, R.I., contributed to this story. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
