Environment & Energy Wire says the House is set for an important vote today. The vote would put the US House of Representatives on the record opposing carbon taxes favored by the left and John McCain in the name of “climate change.”
Republican lawmakers and pro-fossil-fuels advocates have long held that the Obama administration is planning to promulgate a carbon tax without Congress’ consent, and they have found their smoking gun in the administration’s revised estimate for the social cost of carbon (SCC).
The SCC will be used in the cost-benefit analyses for agency rulemakings. And Republican opponents of those rulemakings say that businesses will pass the cost of compliance to their customers, making it a de facto levy on carbon emissions.
All this has GOP lawmakers in a frenzy pushing legislative fixes and demanding government oversight.
The Daily Caller picks up the story.
Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise introduced an amendment to the REINS Act that would require congressional approval of major regulations, including “any rule that implements or provides for the imposition or collection of a tax on carbon emissions.”
“’Regardless of the name, and it has had many over the years, the effect of a carbon tax will always be the same – higher energy costs on families and fewer jobs here at home,” writes Scalise in an op-ed. “Make no mistake — implementing a carbon-tax under the guise of environmental regulations is just the latest salvo in the liberals’ pursuit of their radical agenda, and yet another attempt to feed their unquenchable thirst for job-killing tax hikes.”
“The White House has repeatedly denied having any plans to propose a carbon tax, but some argue it would be preferable to slapping more EPA regulations onto the economy.”
The bottom line: Democrats on the left including President Obama want to pass carbon taxes but could not even when they controlled both houses of Congress and the presidency. The EPA is attempting an end-run around Congress, acting on President Obama’s wishes, to impose carbon taxes. House Republicans are forcing a vote to get everyone on the record: Do you support these job-killing carbon taxes, or not?
Update: The amendment passed, but with very little help from the Democrats. Just 12 of them voted against the EPA’s carbon tax power grab.
Update: These 12 Democrats voted against the carbon tax.
Ron Barber AZ, John Barrow GA, Sanford Bishop GA, Henry Cuellar TX, William Enyart IL, Jim Matheson UT, Mike McIntyre NC, Collin Peterson MN, Nick Joe Rahall WV, Kyrsten Sinema AZ, Filemon Vela TX, Tim Walz MN
The rest of the Democrats either voted for the tax, or did not vote at all.
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