Democrats’ attempts to pass a national energy tax through Congress haven’t gone quite as smoothly as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other Democratic leaders had hoped. Meanwhile, House Republicans are uniting behind the American Energy Act, legislation that represents the fastest route to a cleaner environment, lower energy costs, and more American jobs. In an op-ed in this morning’s Wall Street Journal, House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN), Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) highlighted the Republican plan – and contrasted it with the Democrats’ “Waxman-Markey” national energy tax that would increase energy costs and send American jobs overseas:
“Independent analyses by Charles River Associates Inc. and the National Association of Manufacturers predict the Waxman-Markey bill will cost millions of domestic jobs as manufacturers relocate plants to countries with less draconian environmental regulations. Meanwhile, the electricity rates under a cap-and-trade system would, as President Barack Obama said in January 2008 ‘necessarily skyrocket,’ by some estimates up to $4,300 each year.”
“This is not the way to go. Instead, House Republicans this week unveiled legislation that will lead to lower prices, more jobs, a cleaner environment, and greater energy independence. The centerpiece of our American Energy Act is a commitment to increase the production of our abundant domestic natural resources, and not to punish traditional energy producers and consumers…”
“In the midst of a deep recession, Democratic leaders want to impose higher fuel bills on all of us and relocate American jobs overseas in pursuit of an unproven environmental agenda. Instead, the American Energy Act will produce more energy, lower fuel bills, create more jobs, yield a cleaner environment, and lead to a more secure nation. Can there be any doubt what path is best for the country?”
As Republicans rally around their “all of the above” strategy for lower energy costs, cleaner water and air, and more jobs, Democratic leaders are having trouble convincing their own Members – particularly those representing rural districts – to support a national energy tax. Those concerns of rural Democratic Members may come to a head during a House Agriculture Committee hearing today.
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) warns in a story in The Hill titled “Dem Mutiny on Climate Bill Grows, Says Peterson” that Democrats are “stuck” amidst plenty of infighting. The Chairman’s concerns are echoed by rural electrical cooperatives across the nation, which are sounding the alarm on behalf of rural Americans who will be forced to pay much higher electricity rates under Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax. The Hill reports:
“Rural electric cooperatives, vestiges of a New Deal-era campaign to provide power to rural America, have started to lobby against the House climate change bill by stressing that it would raise electricity costs in certain states more than in others.”
“The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association opposes the bill because it doesn’t provide enough free emissions allowances to regions of the country that are more reliant on coal to produce to electricity. Consumers in these regions could end up seeing their energy costs rise at a faster clip than areas that use more climate-friendly sources of power. Rural co-ops tend to rely more on coal for electric generation than other fuels and could be more affected by a carbon cap than utilities with more diverse energy portfolios.”
As Washington Democrats insist on barreling ahead with a national energy tax in the midst of a recession – one that will costs middle-class families dearly and cost American workers their jobs – House Republicans are looking toward a cleaner, more reliable energy future for all Americans, including those in rural communities. With a better solution now on the table to clean up our environment, lower energy costs, and create more jobs, will Democrats drop their ill-advised plans for a national energy tax? Or will they stubbornly insist on saddling the middle class, rural Americans, and small businesses with higher energy prices when they can afford it least?
Comments (6)
The last time the Democrats claimed a bill was pro American energy, it was actually the opposite, it was an attempt to reinstate drilling bans that were expiring.
So is this bill the way Cap and Trade is being disquised?
I hate articles like this where you don't know what a vote means? Is a yes, a vote ofr an energy plan, a democrat plan, a republican plan, clean energy only, against an energy tax? or what?
I'll vote yes, because energy is one of the most important things government can do or undo.
If you vote yes I am assuming you support the republican alternative to the dems tax into oblivian plan.
Dan, the Dems' 'Cap & Trade' sham, is their combination
Energy plan, and Global Warming initiative, & clean/alternative/green energy plan, and other glutonous pork spending as well, which fits in well, with most of this illegal spending spree of the last eight months. The Republican alternative offering is of course more practical, and includes CRITICAL incentives to re-establish/strengthen DOMESTIC DRILLING, EXPL, & Production of our ENORMOUS oil & gas reserves. NEITHER of the parties have been able to pass much pro-domestic energy legislation in the last 30 years thanks to a handful of Eviro-Nazi groups, and their partners, the lying crooked media. Introducing 'pro oil' bills is, and has been political suicide for politicians, and what's more important to these people, getting re-elected, yr after yr, or our UTMOST NATIONAL SECURITY? With EVERY president of the last 36 yrs saying "We must reduce our dependency on foreign oil", what have they done? They have/we have, done the exact opposite for a long time, and whatever is done in the next 3&1/2 yrs will be more of the same.
This *Cap & Trade/Global Warming* legislation is the biggest unconstitutional (taxation w/o rep) grab of our money & freedom that can be done with pen & paper.
Yeah, I'm for the Republican bill.
I think the article is a little confusing the way it opens talking about the Democrats attempt to pass a bill.
Global Warming is a hoax. There are over 30,000 scientists that can argue the point. This is a plan to tax. It's all about money for the Elites and debt for the citizens. People do NOT cause Global Warming, sun spots do. Several years ago an ice age was predicted. Carbon Monoxide does not raise the temperature. It helps plants grow. I'm all for anti-pollution, but this tax and cap program is not a solution. It's another legislative strangle-hold. Those politicians are trying to repay their benefactors with our freedom.
NASA Study Acknowledges Solar Cycle, Not Man, Responsible for Past Warming. Link: http://www.dailytech.com/NASA+Study+Acknowledges+Solar+Cycle+Not+Man+Responsible+for+Past+Warming/article15310.htm
Petition that has been signed by 31,478 American scientists: "We urge the United States government to reject the global warming agreement that was written in Kyoto, Japan in December, 1997, and any other similar proposals. The proposed limits on greenhouse gases would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare of mankind.
There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.'' Link: http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul537.html
Cap and Trade is a scam to increase everyones energy bills during a depression.