Senate's Irresponsible National Energy Tax Will Lead To More Taxes, Fewer Jobs, And More Government Intrusion

Press Release

Minnesota Congressman John Kline issued the following statement today after Senate Democrats, led by Sens. Barbara Boxer (Calif.) and John Kerry (Mass.), unveiled their national energy tax proposal:

"After a devastating cap and trade bill passed earlier this year in the U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesotans and all Americans braced themselves for a crippling cost increase in the form of a national energy tax that threatens the budget of families and small businesses. Ironically, with unemployment at a 26-year high, Senate Democrats today introduced a job-killing cap-and-trade scheme that would be more accurately titled ‘cap and tax.'

"This irresponsible national energy tax proposal will drive up the price of everyday goods, strain the economy, reduce jobs, and impose a significant cost increase on every American who dares to turn on a light. The Democrat plan will lead to more taxes, fewer jobs, and more government intrusion -- a pattern that is becoming all too familiar under this Administration. According to one independent estimate, 2.3-2.7 million jobs will be lost each year for the next 20 years as a result of the national energy tax.

"There is a better way to find clean, efficient energy sources that will break our dependence on foreign oil in ways that won't raise your taxes, kill jobs, or further strain the economy. Our nation needs a diversified ‘all of the above' energy policy that increases domestic energy production, embraces renewable and alternative fuels, and supports conservation efforts to reduce energy consumption. The American Energy Act provides an ‘all of the above' solution for offering more affordable energy, producing more well-paying jobs, increasing our energy independence, and creating a cleaner environment without raising costs for you and your family."

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