Broun: 'Cap-and-trade' bill will cripple economy
By Rep. Paul Broun | Commentary | Story updated at 7:14 pm on 6/25/2009
Summer travel season has officially begun, and liberals have scheduled a vote today in the U.S. House of Representatives on a national energy tax that will implement $646 billion in new taxes on the American people. Although my colleagues on the other side of the aisle refer to it as cap-and-trade legislation, I prefer to call it the Cap, Tax and Cripple legislation because it will raise your family's energy costs by more than $3,100 a year.
If you're wondering if you'll be affected by this $3,100 increase, the answer is yes, because it affects everyone who drives a car, buys American products or flips on the light switch when they come home. In these tough economic times, Georgia's families already are pinching pennies, and this crippling tax will force you to tighten your budget belt yet another notch.
President Barack Obama is aware of the effect this tax will have on your family's budget. While still a candidate for president, then-Sen. Obama said that under his cap-and-tax plan, utility rates would "necessarily skyrocket," and said that those costs would be passed along to consumers. I urge all Georgians to respectfully remind the president how you will be personally affected when $3,100 goes missing from your wallets.
The effect of this national energy tax will not only be seen in home utility bills and at the pump. Various estimates suggest anywhere from 1.8 million to 7 million Americans could lose their jobs as well. Senior citizens, the poor and the unemployed will be hit hardest by this tax, as experts agree they spend a greater portion of their income on energy consumption. This is a time when we should be promoting policies that simulate our economy, not tear it down.
