Signs No Climate Tax Pledge
WASHINGTON, DC-The free market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today applauded U.S. House candidate Vaughn Ward, running in Idaho's 1st District, for signing the group's "No Climate Tax Pledge." Ward joins more than 345 lawmakers and candidates on the federal, state and local levels pledging to "oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue."
"The one thing elected officials should be able to agree on is that global warming shouldn't be used as an excuse to hike taxes on citizens and businesses," said AFP Vice President for Policy Phil Kerpen. "We encourage all of Idaho's elected officials and candidates for elected office to sign the pledge."
Cap-and-trade took its first step toward enactment last year when the U.S. House narrowly passed the Waxman-Markey energy tax bill, which escaped the lower chamber by a scant seven votes despite significant bipartisan opposition. The U.S. Senate has struggled to pass companion legislation, with several key Democratic senators openly expressing opposition to attempting to pass the energy tax bill.
President Obama has made no secret of his support for the bill, which would be the largest tax increase in American history. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has scored the House plan as an $846 billion increase in federal revenue, a burden that will be borne by taxpayers and consumers for decades to come.
"Using the guise of climate change to transfer dollars from hard-working citizens to bureaucratic big government is unacceptable," said Kerpen. "Regardless of their stance on global warming, this should be common ground for all of our elected officials at all levels of government."