Democratic leaders have announced a so-called “deal” to bring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) national energy tax up for a House vote on Friday. Senior Democrats have already started to tout a number of trivial concessions and compromises that made this “deal” possible. But, the fact is, the consequences of this “deal” are no different from the consequences of the initial legislation introduced by Democrats earlier this year. It still amounts to jobs-killing policy that will increase costs for every American and will further harm our economy and American workers at a time when they can afford it least. Following are the Top 10 Facts about the House Democrats’ so-called “deal” to bring Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax to the House floor later this week:
1. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Impose a National Energy Tax on Every Single American. If you drive a car, buy food or a product manufactured in America, or have the audacity to flip on a light switch, you’ll pay more under Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax. Here’s what Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) had to say about the tax: “Nobody in this country realizes that cap and trade is a tax. And it’s a great big one.” And of course, President Obama agrees, saying that electricity rates will “skyrocket” under this scheme.
2. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Cost American Jobs, Shipping Them Overseas to China & India. According to a study by the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax will cost 2.3 to 2.7 million jobs each year, even after the creation of new “green” jobs. It will impose tough new requirements and increased costs on American manufacturers – higher costs that they won’t face overseas, in places like China, India, or Mexico. This will cost American jobs in two ways: either domestic manufacturers will move overseas directly, or American companies in energy-intensive industries will be driven out of business by overseas rivals that undercut their prices. These job losses, and their ripple effects throughout our economy, were excluded from an incomplete analysis recently completed by the Congressional Budget Office. The Brookings Institute recently released a report that confirmed a national energy tax would reduce economic growth, increase costs, and kill jobs.
3. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Cause Electricity Bills to “Skyrocket.” Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax will increase electricity bills for every American and small business. President Obama even admitted that it would cause electricity rates to “necessarily skyrocket.” And Duke Energy, a major utility company that would receive free allowances under the Democrats’ plan, has already requested a rate hike of 13.5 percent in anticipation of the energy tax.
4. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Hurt Family Farmers & Rural America. Rural Americans would be disproportionately impacted by this burdensome, jobs-killing tax. They travel 25 percent farther than urban residents to go to work and run errands. They spend 58 percent more on fuel than urban residents as a percentage of their income. And electricity is far more costly to deliver to rural households than to urban homes across America. The end result: if Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax becomes law, family farmers and rural small businesses will pay much, much more. That’s why an increasing number of rural organizations are opposing this harmful policy.
5. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Not Improve the Environment. Even supporters of the national energy tax concede that unilateral American action will do nothing to improve Earth’s environment unless global competitors like China and India curb their emissions, too. The response from overseas? Don’t hold your breath. According to the Washington Post, “But, after their talk this week, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said China would not agree to reduce its emissions… Spokesman Qin Gang said…“[I]t is natural for China to have some increase in its emissions, so it is not possible for China in that context to accept a binding or compulsory target.’” And according to Xinhua News, Shyam Saran, India’s principal negotiator on climate change, discussed India’s reluctance to capping its greenhouse gas emissions, saying, “[W]e don’t want to announce targets which we have no intention of achieving.”
6. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Cause Gasoline and Diesel Prices to Spike Further. Gasoline prices have spiked in recent weeks, yet Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax will make gasoline and diesel even more expensive for families and small businesses. The Heritage Foundation estimates that it will raise inflation-adjusted gasoline prices by 58 percent. Not only is that troubling to middle-class families trying to make ends meet, but small businesses – such as America’s truck drivers who are responsible for transporting food and other products across the country – are especially vulnerable during an economic recession. In fact, Tommy Hodges, First Vice Chairman of the American Trucking Association, recently warned that Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax on America’s truck drivers will leave America’s truck drivers, exposed to dramatic and sudden fuel price spikes.
7. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Be A Bureaucratic Nightmare. Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax is a bureaucratic nightmare that would create a slew of new government programs overseen by a long and confusing web of government agencies. At the center of this web is the Environmental Protection Agency along with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Commodities Future Trading Commission, the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Treasury, the Department of State, the Forest Service, the Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Geological Society, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Land Management – all with a hand in taking and redistributing trillions of dollars from family budgets and workers payrolls.
8. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Send Billions of US Taxpayer Dollars Overseas. In addition to sending American jobs overseas, under Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax, between 2012 and 2019, the United States will send $302 billion in taxpayers’ money directly to foreign countries for international offsets, international tropical deforestation, international adaptation, and international technology transfer. American taxpayers are tired of the bailouts. Why do Washington Democrats want to force them to bankroll another global bailout too?
9. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Raise Food Prices. Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax will drive up costs for gasoline and energy used by farmers and businesses across the country. One of the most troubling results? The cost to produce and transport food will be driven higher than ever. The Heritage Foundation says “The cost of producing everything from wheat to beef will increase. Indeed, the price deflator for private farm inventories goes up over 20 points by 2035. This increase gets quickly translated into much higher food prices for consumers at the grocery stores.” During a severe recession and further job losses, is this really the news small businesses and middle-class families want to hear?
10. Speaker Pelosi’s National Energy Tax Will Set the Stage for Another Market Meltdown. Mother Jones recently warned that if Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax “is signed into law, it will generate, almost as an afterthought, a new market for carbon derivatives. That market will be vast, complicated, and dauntingly difficult to monitor. And if Washington doesn’t get the rules right, it will be vulnerable to speculation and manipulation by the very same players who brought us the financial meltdown.” Taxpayers have paid dearly as a result of the financial crisis. Are Democrats setting them up to pay once again?
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Showing posts with label national energy tax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label national energy tax. Show all posts
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Democrats Return to Washington Ready to Force Workers, Families, Small Businesses to Pay a National Energy Tax
Congress is returning to Washington after its Memorial Day recess, and among the top issues slated for House action in the coming weeks is the Democrats’ massive national energy tax to be paid by anyone who drives a car, buys a product made in America, or has the audacity to flip on a light switch. The tax could cost American families up to $3,100 per year and will send countless American jobs overseas to China and India at a time when U.S. workers can afford it least. With the Obama Administration taking responsibility for the future of General Motors today, how can Washington Democrats seriously claim they are looking out for the best interests of American workers at the same time that they’re advocating a significant new tax that will kill their jobs?
Republicans spent the Memorial Day recess sounding the alarm on the national energy tax – called “cap and trade” by the legislation’s supporters – in venues across the country, capped off with Governor Mitch Daniels (R-IN) delivering the weekly GOP address on Saturday to expose the Democrats’ scheme and highlight better solutions proposed by Republicans:
“The national energy tax imposed by Speaker Pelosi’s climate change bill would double electric bills here in Indiana, working a severe hardship on low-income families, but that’s only where the damage starts. In a state where we like to make things, like steel and autos and RVs, it would cost us countless jobs, many of them heading off-shore to China and India. Our farmers and livestock producers would see their costs skyrocket. And our coal miners would be looking for new work, while we leave affordable, homegrown energy idle in the ground.”
In summits held in Pittsburgh, PA, Indianapolis, IN, and San Luis Obispo, CA last week, the House GOP’s American Energy Solutions Group – led by Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) – highlighted the devastating impact a national energy tax would have on jobs and local economies. An editorial in this morning’s Wheeling (WV) Intelligencer highlights one of the consequences the Democrats’ national energy tax could have on that community: the downfall of both the coal and steel industries and the families who depend on them:
“Measures such as the ‘cap and trade’ proposal to limit carbon dioxide emissions have been covered widely by the press, including this newspaper. Much of the focus has been on coal-fired power plants. That is appropriate because of the drastic effect ‘cap and trade’ would have on the coal industry and customers of coal-fired power plants.”
“Not much has been said about the effect ‘cap and trade’ would have on other industries, however. Clearly, certain facilities used in the steel industry could be affected dramatically if the legislation is enacted…”
“The domestic steel industry has been hurt badly by a combination of government failure to protect it from unfair foreign competition, and enforcement of air pollution rules. We hope members of Congress do not allow ‘cap and trade’ to become one of the final nails in the coffin of the steel industry. We urge Wilson and other lawmakers representing this area to refuse to allow that to happen.”
At a time when our nation is struggling to save American jobs, is a national energy tax really the kind of policy that Americans are expecting out of the leaders in Washington? Shouldn’t they expect Democrats and Republicans alike to work on an “all of the above” plan that creates jobs, lowers energy prices, and cleans up the environment at the same time? That’s what Rep. Pence’s American Energy Solutions Group supports – and that’s what it has been advocating around the nation and in the halls of Congress. Cornerstones of the House Republicans’ “all of the above” strategy are:
Increasing environmentally-safe energy production on remote lands and far off our shores;
Promoting the use of alternative fuels that will reduce carbon emissions, such as nuclear, clean-coal, and renewable energy technologies; and
Encouraging increased efficiencies and cutting edge technologies to maximize America’s energy potential.
As Congress begins a four-week sprint toward the Independence Day recess, will Democrats stubbornly barrel ahead with their plan to saddle American workers, families, and small businesses with a national energy tax? Or will they work with Republicans to create jobs, protect the environment, and lower energy prices – all without raising taxes?
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Republicans spent the Memorial Day recess sounding the alarm on the national energy tax – called “cap and trade” by the legislation’s supporters – in venues across the country, capped off with Governor Mitch Daniels (R-IN) delivering the weekly GOP address on Saturday to expose the Democrats’ scheme and highlight better solutions proposed by Republicans:
“The national energy tax imposed by Speaker Pelosi’s climate change bill would double electric bills here in Indiana, working a severe hardship on low-income families, but that’s only where the damage starts. In a state where we like to make things, like steel and autos and RVs, it would cost us countless jobs, many of them heading off-shore to China and India. Our farmers and livestock producers would see their costs skyrocket. And our coal miners would be looking for new work, while we leave affordable, homegrown energy idle in the ground.”
In summits held in Pittsburgh, PA, Indianapolis, IN, and San Luis Obispo, CA last week, the House GOP’s American Energy Solutions Group – led by Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) – highlighted the devastating impact a national energy tax would have on jobs and local economies. An editorial in this morning’s Wheeling (WV) Intelligencer highlights one of the consequences the Democrats’ national energy tax could have on that community: the downfall of both the coal and steel industries and the families who depend on them:
“Measures such as the ‘cap and trade’ proposal to limit carbon dioxide emissions have been covered widely by the press, including this newspaper. Much of the focus has been on coal-fired power plants. That is appropriate because of the drastic effect ‘cap and trade’ would have on the coal industry and customers of coal-fired power plants.”
“Not much has been said about the effect ‘cap and trade’ would have on other industries, however. Clearly, certain facilities used in the steel industry could be affected dramatically if the legislation is enacted…”
“The domestic steel industry has been hurt badly by a combination of government failure to protect it from unfair foreign competition, and enforcement of air pollution rules. We hope members of Congress do not allow ‘cap and trade’ to become one of the final nails in the coffin of the steel industry. We urge Wilson and other lawmakers representing this area to refuse to allow that to happen.”
At a time when our nation is struggling to save American jobs, is a national energy tax really the kind of policy that Americans are expecting out of the leaders in Washington? Shouldn’t they expect Democrats and Republicans alike to work on an “all of the above” plan that creates jobs, lowers energy prices, and cleans up the environment at the same time? That’s what Rep. Pence’s American Energy Solutions Group supports – and that’s what it has been advocating around the nation and in the halls of Congress. Cornerstones of the House Republicans’ “all of the above” strategy are:
Increasing environmentally-safe energy production on remote lands and far off our shores;
Promoting the use of alternative fuels that will reduce carbon emissions, such as nuclear, clean-coal, and renewable energy technologies; and
Encouraging increased efficiencies and cutting edge technologies to maximize America’s energy potential.
As Congress begins a four-week sprint toward the Independence Day recess, will Democrats stubbornly barrel ahead with their plan to saddle American workers, families, and small businesses with a national energy tax? Or will they work with Republicans to create jobs, protect the environment, and lower energy prices – all without raising taxes?
-----
www.politicalpotluck.com
Political News You Can Use
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Democrats Vote for $5 Gas, 15 Percent Unemployment, and Shipping Jobs to China & India - All to Protect Their National Energy Tax
Just how committed are Democrats to establishing a national energy tax on anyone who drives a car, buys anything made in America, or has the audacity to flip on a light switch? So committed that they are willing to let families and small businesses deal with $5 gas prices, 15 percent unemployment, and skyrocketing electricity costs just to ensure that the national energy tax becomes the law of the land.
Republicans believe there's a better path to clean energy. Yesterday, during the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s consideration of the legislation, Republicans offered a series of amendments to protect Americans from paying the national energy tax – which would cost families up to $3,100 per year – if gasoline and electricity costs soared or if unemployment reached historic levels. But one by one, Democrats rejected these common sense amendments, barreling ahead with their plans to saddle Americans with a massive new tax when they can afford it the least. Here’s a quick review of some of the amendments Democrats voted against yesterday – reflecting just how committed they are to a national energy tax:
Democrats Vote for $5 Per Gallon Gasoline. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment designed to protect middle-class families by shelving the national energy tax if gasoline prices hit $5 per gallon.
Democrats Vote for 15 Percent Unemployment. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment that made clear that if the U.S. unemployment rate should exceed 15 percent, then the national energy tax would cease to be effective.
Democrats Vote for Skyrocketing Electricity Costs. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment that would have protected residential customers from higher electric utility rates. The amendment would shelve the national energy tax if electricity rates increase by more than 10 percent over 2009 rates.
Democrats Vote for Shipping American Jobs to China and India. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment designed to provide a level playing field for American industries. It simply made clear that China and India must adopt the same emissions standards that the United States will be forced to comply with under the Democrats’ national energy tax, and if they don’t then it will not go into effect in the United States.
Democrats Vote For Keeping Consumers in the Dark About Energy Price Spikes. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment to require that any price increase for consumers as a result of the national energy tax be fully disclosed on each utility bill, fuel pump, manufactured product label, or food label.
Republicans know that we can clean up our environment, create more jobs, and bring down energy prices at the same time – without raising taxes. Cornerstones of the House Republicans’ strategy are:
- Increasing environmentally-safe energy production on remote lands and far off our shores;
- Promoting the use of alternative fuels that will reduce carbon emissions, such as nuclear, clean-coal, and renewable energy technologies; and
- Encouraging conservation to preserve and protect our natural resources.
While Democrats cling to their irresponsible plan for a national energy tax on families and small businesses – even if gas prices, electricity costs, and unemployment soar – Republicans will continue promoting their “all of the above” strategy. Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) will host a series of forums next week in California, Pennsylvania, and Indiana to highlight the plan – and shine a spotlight on the devastating consequences of the Democrats’ national energy tax.
-----
www.politicalpotluck.com
Political News You Can Use
Republicans believe there's a better path to clean energy. Yesterday, during the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s consideration of the legislation, Republicans offered a series of amendments to protect Americans from paying the national energy tax – which would cost families up to $3,100 per year – if gasoline and electricity costs soared or if unemployment reached historic levels. But one by one, Democrats rejected these common sense amendments, barreling ahead with their plans to saddle Americans with a massive new tax when they can afford it the least. Here’s a quick review of some of the amendments Democrats voted against yesterday – reflecting just how committed they are to a national energy tax:
Democrats Vote for $5 Per Gallon Gasoline. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment designed to protect middle-class families by shelving the national energy tax if gasoline prices hit $5 per gallon.
Democrats Vote for 15 Percent Unemployment. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment that made clear that if the U.S. unemployment rate should exceed 15 percent, then the national energy tax would cease to be effective.
Democrats Vote for Skyrocketing Electricity Costs. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment that would have protected residential customers from higher electric utility rates. The amendment would shelve the national energy tax if electricity rates increase by more than 10 percent over 2009 rates.
Democrats Vote for Shipping American Jobs to China and India. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment designed to provide a level playing field for American industries. It simply made clear that China and India must adopt the same emissions standards that the United States will be forced to comply with under the Democrats’ national energy tax, and if they don’t then it will not go into effect in the United States.
Democrats Vote For Keeping Consumers in the Dark About Energy Price Spikes. Democrats rejected a GOP amendment to require that any price increase for consumers as a result of the national energy tax be fully disclosed on each utility bill, fuel pump, manufactured product label, or food label.
Republicans know that we can clean up our environment, create more jobs, and bring down energy prices at the same time – without raising taxes. Cornerstones of the House Republicans’ strategy are:
- Increasing environmentally-safe energy production on remote lands and far off our shores;
- Promoting the use of alternative fuels that will reduce carbon emissions, such as nuclear, clean-coal, and renewable energy technologies; and
- Encouraging conservation to preserve and protect our natural resources.
While Democrats cling to their irresponsible plan for a national energy tax on families and small businesses – even if gas prices, electricity costs, and unemployment soar – Republicans will continue promoting their “all of the above” strategy. Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) will host a series of forums next week in California, Pennsylvania, and Indiana to highlight the plan – and shine a spotlight on the devastating consequences of the Democrats’ national energy tax.
-----
www.politicalpotluck.com
Political News You Can Use
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Obama's Broken Promise: No Tax Hikes on Those Making Less Than $250,000
/PRNewswire/ -- During his campaign, President Obama promised repeatedly that he would never raise taxes on Americans making less than $250,000 per year. A review by Americans for Tax Reform of Obama's first 100 days in office shows he has broken this promise on at least two occasions.
PROMISE:
"I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes" (September 12, 2008, Dover, NH)
"No one making less than $250,000 under Barack Obama's plan will see one single penny of their tax raised," Joe Biden said, "whether it's their capital gains tax, their income tax, investment tax, any tax." (Joe Biden, Oct. 3, 2008, Vice Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO)
DATES PROMISE BROKEN:
Feb. 4 -- just 16 days into his presidency, Obama signs into law a 156 percent increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco, a hike of 61 cents per pack, which took effect on April 1.
The tax increase falls squarely on the shoulders of the middle and low-income Americans Obama said he would not raise taxes on: 55 percent of smokers are "working poor", one in four smokers live below the poverty line, and on average, smokers, whose median income is a little more than $36,000 make about 30 percent less than non-smokers.
Feb. 26 -- Obama released his FY 2010 budget which imposes a range of tax hikes including a "cap and trade" tax of $646 billion. Every American family will pay this tax in the form of higher gasoline, heating and electric bills. By adding together the "cap and trade" tax increase along with other energy tax hikes in the Obama budget and dividing by the number of families, it's clear what this annual tax hike would be: The average American family would pay, directly or indirectly, approximately $10,000 per year in new energy taxes.
PROMISE:
"I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes" (September 12, 2008, Dover, NH)
"No one making less than $250,000 under Barack Obama's plan will see one single penny of their tax raised," Joe Biden said, "whether it's their capital gains tax, their income tax, investment tax, any tax." (Joe Biden, Oct. 3, 2008, Vice Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO)
DATES PROMISE BROKEN:
Feb. 4 -- just 16 days into his presidency, Obama signs into law a 156 percent increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco, a hike of 61 cents per pack, which took effect on April 1.
The tax increase falls squarely on the shoulders of the middle and low-income Americans Obama said he would not raise taxes on: 55 percent of smokers are "working poor", one in four smokers live below the poverty line, and on average, smokers, whose median income is a little more than $36,000 make about 30 percent less than non-smokers.
Feb. 26 -- Obama released his FY 2010 budget which imposes a range of tax hikes including a "cap and trade" tax of $646 billion. Every American family will pay this tax in the form of higher gasoline, heating and electric bills. By adding together the "cap and trade" tax increase along with other energy tax hikes in the Obama budget and dividing by the number of families, it's clear what this annual tax hike would be: The average American family would pay, directly or indirectly, approximately $10,000 per year in new energy taxes.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Boehner Statement on Former Vice President Gore’s Global Warming Testimony
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today released the following statement on the global warming testimony by Former Vice President Al Gore at the Energy & Commerce Committee:
“Former Vice President Gore deserves another Oscar for his testimony today on the Democrats’ plans for a massive national energy tax on every American. As Mr. Gore spoke to the television cameras in the Committee chamber, news reports indicate that behind the scenes, Democrats are wheeling and dealing, trying to buy votes for this disastrous bill with your taxpayer dollars.
“The fact is, the Waxman-Markey bill will raise taxes on every American who drives a car, buys a product manufactured in the United States, or has the audacity to flip on a light switch. Even President Obama has said that under his plan electricity rates will ‘skyrocket.’ Those skyrocketing costs will make manufacturing any product in this country more expensive, and – since countries like China, India, and Mexico will not impose a similar tax – millions of American jobs will move overseas. For proof of cap-and-trade’s folly, look no further than Europe, where the scheme hurt the economy, drove up energy costs, and failed to cut carbon emissions at all.
“Republicans are committed to working with the Administration and congressional Democrats to advance policies for cleaner air and water and a healthy environment. Led by Rep. Mike Pence, our American Energy Solutions Group supports an ‘all of the above’ strategy that promotes alternative technologies, encourages conservation and more nuclear power, and increases environmentally-safe production of American energy. This strategy not only will pave the way for a cleaner, healthier environment for our children and grandchildren, but it will also lower energy costs and create good-paying jobs.”
“Former Vice President Gore deserves another Oscar for his testimony today on the Democrats’ plans for a massive national energy tax on every American. As Mr. Gore spoke to the television cameras in the Committee chamber, news reports indicate that behind the scenes, Democrats are wheeling and dealing, trying to buy votes for this disastrous bill with your taxpayer dollars.
“The fact is, the Waxman-Markey bill will raise taxes on every American who drives a car, buys a product manufactured in the United States, or has the audacity to flip on a light switch. Even President Obama has said that under his plan electricity rates will ‘skyrocket.’ Those skyrocketing costs will make manufacturing any product in this country more expensive, and – since countries like China, India, and Mexico will not impose a similar tax – millions of American jobs will move overseas. For proof of cap-and-trade’s folly, look no further than Europe, where the scheme hurt the economy, drove up energy costs, and failed to cut carbon emissions at all.
“Republicans are committed to working with the Administration and congressional Democrats to advance policies for cleaner air and water and a healthy environment. Led by Rep. Mike Pence, our American Energy Solutions Group supports an ‘all of the above’ strategy that promotes alternative technologies, encourages conservation and more nuclear power, and increases environmentally-safe production of American energy. This strategy not only will pave the way for a cleaner, healthier environment for our children and grandchildren, but it will also lower energy costs and create good-paying jobs.”
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