With Rising Gas Prices Pinching American Families, Dems Want National Energy Tax

February 28, 2012

Delusional Democrats See Political Opportunity to Ram Through a Massive New Energy Tax That Will Make Energy Prices Go Even Higher

Gas prices are reaching new highs, and for some bizarre reason Democrats want to make them go even higher through a cap-and-trade scheme similar to the one Democrats tried to ram through in the last congress, a plan that would effectively create a national energy tax.
Thankfully for American consumers, the Democrats’ last effort failed to be passed into law, even though it passed the House under Nancy Pelosi’s reign as speaker.
Why, then, are top Democrats pushing to make higher energy prices permanent at a time when American families are feeling the pinch from rising gas prices? Perhaps it was their plan all along.

Gas prices are reaching new highs, and for some bizarre reason Democrats want to make them go even higher through a cap-and-trade scheme similar to the one Democrats tried to ram through in the last congress, a plan that would effectively create a national energy tax:

GAS PRICES $1.71 PER GALLON HIGHER UNDER OBAMA: (“Petroleum & Other Liquids,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 2/26/2012)

ENERGY AND COMMERCE RANKING DEMOCRAT HENRY WAXMAN RENEWS PUSH FOR CAP-AND TRADE: “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. If we leave both to become much more severe then the answers will be more radical and painful.” (Ezra Klein, “Henry Waxman’s Plan to Cut the Deficit and Stop Global Warming—at the Same Time,” The Washington Post, 2/26/2012)

TOP DEMOCRATS ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE PUBLISHED WASHINGTON POST OP-ED CALLING FOR $200 BILLION NATIONAL ENERGY TAX: “The best approach would be to use a market mechanism such as the sale of carbon allowances or a fee on carbon pollution to lower emissions and increase revenue. Using these policies, the United States could raise $200 billion or more over 10 years and trillions of dollars by 2050 while cutting carbon emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, providing transition assistance to affected industries, and supporting investments in clean-energy technologies.”(Henry A. Waxman, Sherwood Boehlert, Edward J. Markey and Wayne Gilchrest, “Carbon Emission Policy Could Slash Debt, Improve Environment,” The Washington Post, 2/23/2012)

Thankfully for American consumers, the Democrats’ last effort failed to be passed into law, even though it passed the House under Nancy Pelosi’s reign as speaker:

FLASHBACK: HOUSE DEMOCRATS RAMMED THROUGH CAP-AND-TRADE NATIONAL ENERGY TAX IN 2009: (Roll Call 477, Clerk of the U.S. House, 6/26/2009)

OBAMA ESTIMATE PUT COST OF CAP-AND-TRADE AT 1% OF GDP: (Declan McCullagh, “Obama Admin: Cap and Trade Could Cost Families $1,761 a Year,” CBS News, 9/15/2009)

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS STUDY ESTIMATED CAP-AND-TRADE WOULD INCREASE GAS PRICES 26% BY 2030: (“State-by-State Analysis of Waxman-Market Cap and Trade Legislation Paints Dour Picture for Nation’s Economy,” National Association of Manufacturers, 8/12/2009)

NAM: WOULD INCREASE ELECTRICITY PRICES 50% BY 2030: (“State-by-State Analysis of Waxman-Market Cap and Trade Legislation Paints Dour Picture for Nation’s Economy,” National Association of Manufacturers, 8/12/2009)

NAM: WOULD DESTROY 2.4 MILLION JOBS: (“State-by-State Analysis of Waxman-Market Cap and Trade Legislation Paints Dour Picture for Nation’s Economy,” National Association of Manufacturers, 8/12/2009)

Why, then, are top Democrats pushing to make higher energy prices permanent at a time when American families are feeling the pinch from rising gas prices? Perhaps it was their plan all along:

OBAMA WANTED ENERGY PRICES TO “NECESSARILY SKYROCKET” UNDER HIS CAP-AND-TRADE PLAN: ” ‘Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket,’ Obama told the Chronicle. ‘Coal-powered plans, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plans were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.” (Catherine Richert, “Pence Claims that Obama said Energy Costs Will Skyrocket with a Cap-and-Trade Plan,” PolitiFact.com, 6/11/2009)

ENERGY SECRETARY STEPHEN CHU IN SEPTEMBER 2008: “SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE HOW TO BOOST THE PRICE OF GASOLINE TO THE LEVELS IN EUROPE”: ” ‘Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,’ Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September.”(Neil King, Jr. and Stephen Power, “Times Tough for Energy Overhaul,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/12/2008)