CEI Co-Sponsors Anti-Climate Tax Pledge

Americans for Prosperity recently announced it has been joined by three key allies in its call for the nation’s elected officials to commit – in writing – to oppose anti-global warming legislation that results in a net increase in revenue to the federal government.  This comes as House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats meet today with President Obama, who is pressuring them to accept a plan that hides a massive tax hike.

Through the NoClimateTax.com Web site, thousands of activists from across America have asked members of Congress and state legislators to sign a written pledge committing them to oppose any efforts to use anti-global warming legislation as a vehicle to raise taxes.

“We’re excited to have CEI, NTU, and IFL on board this important effort,” said AFP Policy Director Phil Kerpen.  “With these key allies helping promote the pledge to their members and directly with elected officials, we hope that a majority in Congress will commit in writing to take tax hikes off the table during discussion of what is supposed to be an environmental bill.”

“The Competitive Enterprise Institute joins Americans for Prosperity in urging Members of Congress to sign the NoClimateTax.com pledge,” said Myron Ebell, CEI’s director of energy and global warming policy.  “Cap and trade would be a huge indirect tax on the American people and probably the biggest tax increase in history.  As President Obama rightly said, ‘electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.'”

“President Obama may be sincere in his desire to make the planet a healthier place to live,” said Institute for Liberty President Andrew Langer, “but his proposed budget is dishonest in that it uses popular fears about global climate change to drive the biggest tax increase in American history through the Congress. In fact, his proposed Cap and Trade system will actually make the world a less healthy place.”

“Cap-and-traders are peddling their plan as if they were in a fiscal vacuum, but taxpayers can’t ignore the giant sucking sound near their wallets,” National Taxpayers Union Vice President for Policy and Communications, Pete Sepp, said.  “In addition to threats of punitive tax hikes on domestic energy production, payrolls, and small businesses, more burdens are on the way if President Obama’s health care scheme is enacted. Policymakers must pledge to switch off this money-grabbing machine now, beginning with cap-and-trade.”

The full text of the pledge is:
“I, ___________________________, pledge to the taxpayers of the State of _________________ and to the American people that I will oppose any legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in federal government revenue.”

AFP has already sent the pledge to every member of Congress, Republican and Democrat.  Signatories thus far include House Republican Leader John Boehner, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor, GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence, Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price, and Rep. Joe Barton, the ranking member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee.  No Congressional Democrats have yet signed the pledge.  In addition, over 100 state legislators, on a bi-partisan basis, have signed similar pledges and are moving resolutions through state legislative chambers urging Congress to forgo the tax increases that are part of the “Cap and Trade” scheme included in the President’s budget.

A regularly updated list of signers, including scans of the signed pledges and local press releases, is available on the web at www.NoClimateTax.com.