Letter to Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State - Global Warming Summit

Letter

Dear Secretary Clinton,

We are troubled by reports that members of President Obama's negotiating team at the U.N. global warming summit in Cancun, Mexico have apprentice take it upon themselves to claim that the U.S. Congress will pass cap-and-trade legislation by the end of the decade.

As elected Members of Congress, we unequivocally state that these negotiators do not speak for us. We urge restraint in the Administration and their envoys in making promises they are not authorized to make. Not only that, it is highly unlikely that Congress will pas cap-and-trade legislation in the foreseeable future. We state categorically that we will do anything and everything within our power to prevent cap-and-trade legislation as it is currently proposed from ever becoming law in the United States.

No matter how well intentioned, the fact is the global warming is an extremely controversial topic in the United States. It does not advance our national interest for the Administration or individual negotiators to make promises that cannot be kept. While Presidents indeed play an important role in proposing energy or an other legislation, it is ultimately up to Congress to pass legislation.

Many members of the House are also on record in supporting legislation, such as H.Res.945, which states that the Untied States should not sign any climate change agreement that would harm our economy, compromise American sovereignty, or impose different standards on countries. We oppose artificially increasing utility and energy prices on our constituents. As our country, and indeed the world, continues to grapple with record levels of unemployment and sluggish economic growth, we recognize cap-and-trade would kill more jobs through higher energy costs, send jobs overseas, stifle economic growth and harm our competitiveness.

Additionally, an international cap-and-trade agreement would compromise our sovereignty by requiring the United States to submit to decisions of international inspection, compliance, and enforcement mechanisms. We already have too many unelected bureaucrats in our U.S. government, and adding an international layer that is not accountable to the American taxpayer is absolutely unacceptable.

Despite sizeable majorities in Congress and control of the White House, Democrats were unsuccessful in pushing cap-and-trade legislation through the 111th Congress. If that legislation failed under such circumstances, it is far less likely that Congress will burden American families and small businesses with a cap-and-trade, or a national energy tax, in the incoming 112th Congress or future Congresses in light of the political shifts reflected in the November, 2010 elections.

Accordingly, we respectfully request that all members of the U.S. delegation in Cancun refrain from unwarranted and supportable speculations about the passage of cap-and-trade legislation in the future. The United States should not conduct diplomacy by making injurious promises.

Sincerely,

Hon. Doug Lamborn
Hon. Bob Goodlatte
Hon. Steve King
Hon. Thaddeus McCotter
Hon. Bill Posey
Hon. Rodney Alexander
Hon. Phil Gingrey
Hon. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
Hon. Dan Burton
Hon. Robert Latta
Hon. Rob Bishop
Hon. Paul Broun
Hon. Ted Poe
Hon. Kevin Brady
Hon. Michele Bachmann
Hon. Tim Griffin
Hon. Steve Scalise
Hon. Wally Herger
Hon. Cynthia Lummis
Hon. John Campbell
Hon. Scott Garrett
Hon. K. Michael Conaway
Hon. Howard "Buck" McKeon
Hon. Morgan Griffith