On June 26 An expensive new “energy tax” bill was approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 219 to 212 (click here to see how your rep voted). This bill is known as the “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,” H.R. 2454, also known as the Waxman-Markey climate change bill.

Most Americans know this bill as a “cap-and-trade” bill for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and global warming by creating a system of pollution permits that energy companies must buy before releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Now the 'cap and trade' debate moves on to the Senate where a vote is expected to occur this fall. However, sufficient pressure to defeat any form of 'cap and trade' bill must be developed as soon as possible in case Senate consideration is scheduled earlier. Committee hearings on a Senate bill based on H.R. 2454 are planned for early July.

There are several very important reasons for Americans to oppose any form of 'cap and trade' bill:

(1) At exactly the time when more and more Americans are realizing that our federal government is out of control, a cap and trade bill would establish a whole new unconstitutional activity of the federal government and give it yet another regulatory tool for increasing the cost of doing business, which would necessarily translate into higher costs for consumers.

“[U]nder my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” -- Barack Obama, 2008 (click on photo to see video of this statement)

(2) A cap and trade bill would lead to increased expenses for American households of thousands of dollars per year. A recent Congressional Budget Office report estimated that the cost per household would be as little as $175 per year. However, the Heritage Foundation has responded with “CBO Grossly Underestimates Costs of Cap and Trade,” in which they point out that the CBO study assumes nearly 100% of the increased costs for businesses will be rebated to consumers by the federal government (when has this ever happened?) and omits consideration of negative impacts on the economy of thousands of dollars per household. Bottom line, don’t rely on the CBO report to be an accurate forecast of the additional costs you’ll be paying each year due to passage of a cap and trade bill.

For additional analysis of the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill, see "The Waxman-Markey Global Warming Bill: Is the Economic Pain Justified by the Environmental Gain?" Furthermore, on June 26 the Wall Street Journal published an excellent article that says this bill would likely "be the biggest tax in American history."

(3) The whole reason for existence of expensive cap and trade schemes is based on the global warming myth that man’s activities are producing significant temperature increases. Take a cold bath in reality by reading "A Cooling Trend Toward Global Warming."

We must not provide the federal government with new powers to regulate businesses that would lead to at least hundreds of dollars of new expenses per household each year and more likely to thousands of dollars of new expenses per year.

Help preserve your freedom and prosperity by telling your senators that you are strongly opposed to any form of cap and trade bill!

Take action now by clicking here and sending an email to your senators in vigorous opposition to any cap and trade energy tax.

Let's draw a line in the sand. We must defeat this huge energy tax!

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (9)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

Lenora Williams said:

... I am praying to the one true God that Obama and the liberal socialists in congress will CHANGE and try to undo some of the harm they are doing to America and Americans. Since they took office unemployment has nearly doubled, the deficit has quadrupled, we keep loosing our constitutional rights and that's just a start if they keep passing bills they claim no one has read and won't let the public or Republicans read. I wonder who is writing them if no one knows what they say. Unemployment and taxes are increasing daily on every American even the poorest. If they get the cap and trade bill passed Obama himself says all energy costs will skyrocket. it is estimated it could double our energy bills. Can we afford any more of their nonsense? I heard today that there is Constitutional provision that if our freedoms as outlined in the constitution are in danger from the present administration we can throw them out and start over. They are not only indangering Americas welfare but it's very foundation and they are systematically trying to alienate half of the nation by ignoring them and branding them as if to divide and conquer this nation. If they don't start looking out for Americans interest and welfare and they keep only serving their own interests, I strongly advise we do just that. Quit the deficit spending, increased taxation, and big government control.

report abuse vote down vote up

June 29, 2009
Votes: +11

Sequin said:

	... I have felt a sense of impending doom since this "community organizer" took up residence in the Whitehouse. Nothing this man says or signs suprises me. Unlike many of my countrymen/women, I saw right through this man as if he was made of glass. All I have to say is, shame on those who put this unfit man in power.
	report abuse vote down vote up

July 03, 2009
Votes: +14

robert harbold jr said:

retired old fart The cap and trade or cap and tax as I see it, is a direct assault on the middle class and working poor, to punish us for not being up to the standards of these elitists. They think we are so stupid, that we need to be controlled in every aspect of our lives which means, that none these Congressmen of ours, believes in the oath of office, they all took, to protect and defend the constitution of the U.S. from foreign and DOMESTIC enemies. So now we have the enemy within our very Institutions, that are supposed to be checks and balances. We've been suckered by the lies so we must make the change in 2010, get active, get informed, and throw the traitors out. Vote for people who love the FREEDOM, our founders sacrificed their lives and/or fortunes to give us.

report abuse vote down vote up

July 04, 2009 | url
Votes: +14

Candy Gallagher said:

	... Stop the insanity. Someone needs to stop this man and his party. Doesn't anybody see thru him??? What happened to the Constitution??? We are slowly sinking and the only people that will be left are the poor and rich. Middle Class will be eliminated.
	report abuse vote down vote up

July 09, 2009
Votes: +6

educator said:

cap and slave trade Germany did it! 70% increase in energy costs and climbing.. We have fools running this country but the bigger fools are "we the people" who elect them them! We the people are stupid, we do not vote or at best we vote party who just do the same bad things over and over again. It is time to educate our selves stand up vote and "recall" elected officials who do not do as we ask! It is time we flushed out the waste in DC and state governments and take control before we end up finished......

report abuse vote down vote up

July 10, 2009
Votes: +7

WE THE PEOPLE said:

	WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE BACK OUR GOVERNMENT We the people need to take back OUR government. Many of the policies/laws being proposed and debated right now border on INSANE! Keep Praying, writing and calling your Congressmen and senators and VOTE these people OUT OF OFFICE!
	report abuse vote down vote up

July 16, 2009
Votes: +10

Andrew S. Marzilli said:

... This bill(waxman-markey energy bill, H.R. 2454, Cap and Trade)is nothing but another way the odumdum administration can take more money away from us. How long is it going to take to stop this madness. He isnt qualified to be president and he ia puppet for wall street. Just watch him when the telepromter goes out.....um ah ok hmm, this moron cannot even remember the pre-staged answers. Come on people are we going to wait till he completely bankrupt the United States of America. We all have to band together and work on a cure for this, if we dont do it soon there will be nothing left, the dumocratieitis are moving at light speed to try and pass all the bs that they are doing. Personally I think they know what they are doing is wrong, it is treason, and every last one of them needs to be fired and prosecuted for the crimes that they have done so far. They all need to go and they need to go now, what woulkd happen if we all claimed 15 to 20 deductions on our paychecks and when april 15th comes around, we each file a return and submit it to the IRS without any money enclosed, what are they going to do, put 20 million people in jail. I dont think so. The 2010 election is coming soon and I truly hope that most of these criminals are voted out of office and straight to prison every last one of them. We will see what happens, but whatever it is it needs to happen right away

report abuse vote down vote up

July 18, 2009
Votes: +3

Mary Woolery said:

Struggling Employed American!! My husband and I are very responsible, hard working Americans. I teach in our public school system, and my husband has a technical job. We pay our bills, we pay our taxes, and we are struggling!!! In my heart, I believe that our president is doing all he can to break the people of this nation. The middle class is going away at a shocking rate. Soon, all we will have are those living in poverty, and those living in wealth. Our politicians should be ashamed of themselves for sacrificing their constituents in order to line their pockets. Our president is no better!! He does not care about this country or it's people. My husband and I work for everything we have, but that is no longer enough. We are quickly become a country without freedom and without the ability to stand on our own.

report abuse vote down vote up

July 25, 2009
Votes: +4

Jeffro Tull said:

	Adapt or die I hope this bill passes the Senate. The green energy revolution is on. Its time to adapt or die. The world simply cannot sustain this continued upward trajectory of carbon releases in the environment. Sell XOM and buy FSLR. Trade in your clunker and buy a bike. "The hippie shall inherit the earth." Psalms 37:7:11
	report abuse vote down vote up

August 07, 2009
Votes: -4