With Soaring Gas Prices, Washington Democrats Revive House Dems’ National Energy Tax

February 28, 2012

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Lois Capps (CA-24), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Kathy Castor (FL-11), Ben Chandler (KY-06), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), John Garamendi (CA-03), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Steve Israel (NY-02), Ron Kind (WI-03), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-16), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-21), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Tim Walz (MN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)

With Soaring Gas Prices, Washington Democrats Revive Peterson’s National Energy Tax
Minnesota Democrat’s Washington Party Leaders Resurrect His Failed Cap-and-Trade Proposal Despite Record High Gas Prices

WASHINGTON — Despite the record high gas prices across America, Collin Peterson’s Democrat leaders have decided now is the perfect time to revive his failed national energy tax plan that would make energy prices even more expensive. With this timing, Peterson and his Democrat leaders in Washington again demonstrate how out of touch they are with Minnesota families and small businesses struggling every day at the gas pump.

“If Collin Peterson’s response to record high gas prices is his old proposal to make energy even more expensive, then he clearly hasn’t learned his lesson,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “The last thing Peterson’s constituents need is another attempt at the Democrats’ national energy tax, which President Obama admitted would cause prices to ‘necessarily skyrocket’ at the worst possible time.”

House Democrat leaders, such as top Energy and Commerce Democrat Henry Waxman, are now pushing for their cap-and-trade scheme three years after it failed to become law:

“I think we have to look at the fact that neither of these problems can be solved overnight. But if we could put in place a price on carbon and then use the sales of carbon allowances to raise revenues we could raise money and cut emissions at the same time, and we can have a transition that will be as orderly as possible.” (Ezra Klein, “Henry Waxman’s plan to cut the deficit and stop global warming — at the same time,” The Washington Post‘s Wonkblog, 2/26/12)

When Democrats pushed the plan the first time around, President Obama admitted it was designed to increase the cost of energy:

“‘Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket,’ Obama told the Chronicle. ‘Coal-powered plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.'” (Catharine Richert, “Pence claims that Obama said energy costs will skyrocket with a cap-and-trade plan,” PolitiFact.com, 6/10/09)

With Soaring Gas Prices, Washington Democrats Revive House Dems’ National Energy Tax http://ow.ly/9l7mU #powerfailure

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