Blunt Offers "Emergency Exit" Amendment to Protect Consumers From Backdoor Energy Tax
Congressional Desk
May 19, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt today offered an amendment in the House Energy and Commerce Committee to sunset the Democrats´ energy legislation when residential electric rates increase by more than 10 percent.
"The bill the Committee is debating can best be described as a national energy tax," Blunt said. "It will kill jobs, make America less competitive and punish everyone from families to small businesses and manufacturers by forcing electricity rates to spike. My amendment would serve as an emergency exit from this damaging backdoor energy tax."
A study conducted on behalf of the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission estimates the electricity rates in Missouri could increase by as much as 40% by 2015 because of legislation similar to the bill Blunt offered his amendment to. During the presidential campaign, President Obama said similar legislation – called cap and trade – would cause electricity rates to "necessarily skyrocket" and costs will be "passed on to consumers."
Blunt´s amendment was defeated largely along party lines in the Democrat-controlled Energy and Commerce Committee.
The legislation the committee is marking up, The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, places a constantly decreasing cap on emissions while forcing energy producers, manufacturers and farmers to purchase offsets if they exceed those arbitrary, government-mandated caps. The cost of those offsets will be passed to the consumer and cause the cost of doing business in America to increase.
"I support the ultimate goal of protecting our environment, but we must look at the real ramifications this bill will have on our already struggling economy," Blunt said during Monday´s opening statements.
Blunt has advocated for an "all of the above" energy plan that includes more production, more alternatives and more conservation.
"The bill the Committee is debating can best be described as a national energy tax," Blunt said. "It will kill jobs, make America less competitive and punish everyone from families to small businesses and manufacturers by forcing electricity rates to spike. My amendment would serve as an emergency exit from this damaging backdoor energy tax."
A study conducted on behalf of the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission estimates the electricity rates in Missouri could increase by as much as 40% by 2015 because of legislation similar to the bill Blunt offered his amendment to. During the presidential campaign, President Obama said similar legislation – called cap and trade – would cause electricity rates to "necessarily skyrocket" and costs will be "passed on to consumers."
Blunt´s amendment was defeated largely along party lines in the Democrat-controlled Energy and Commerce Committee.
The legislation the committee is marking up, The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, places a constantly decreasing cap on emissions while forcing energy producers, manufacturers and farmers to purchase offsets if they exceed those arbitrary, government-mandated caps. The cost of those offsets will be passed to the consumer and cause the cost of doing business in America to increase.
"I support the ultimate goal of protecting our environment, but we must look at the real ramifications this bill will have on our already struggling economy," Blunt said during Monday´s opening statements.
Blunt has advocated for an "all of the above" energy plan that includes more production, more alternatives and more conservation.
Print
Email
