If you’re down in the dumps over the latest news and views regarding the near term state of the economy, then don’t look at the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) latest projections to brighten things up for the long run. But let’s first grasp a little history.

In June, the Senate passed an energy bill. This month, the House of Representatives followed with its own energy legislation. This points to a conference committee in order to hammer out differences. We'd all be better off, however, if Congress just dropped the matter altogether.