Critics lambast increased federal funding for oil research

A spending bill signed into law by President Obama contains $571 million for fossil fuel research, drawing criticism for use of taxpayer dollars to fund research for the oil and natural-gas and coal industries.

The funding included in the so-called cromnibus bill, which funds the federal government during fiscal 2015, represents a 2 percent increase from the $562 million in fiscal 2014. Next fiscal year’s funding dwarfs the $347 million spent on oil and gas research and development in fiscal 2012 and the $495 million spent in fiscal 2013. Obama signed the bill into law last Tuesday.

“At a time when deficits…