> The latter is what my Copilot suggested when I addressed complaints about higher gas prices

I would suspect this is because it is most mainstream recommendation from economists on how to disincentivize fossil usage without destroying your society & economic stability in the interim. Not because it's "lefty".

The yellow vest protests in France were basically what happens when you try to do A without also doing B.

It does also depend on why they are doing subsidies - is it the price of domestic energy security for example?

I don't know the situation in the US - and I suspect there are multiple factors - but you need to understand the goals, whether that be energy security, lower domestic prices, jobs or whatever.

ie the question isn't whether oil subsidies are good or not, in isolation - the question is what's the best method to achieve the goals.

( One goal you haven't mentioned is weaning the country off fossil fuels - which is probably best done via gradually rising prices ).