Posted on 07/19/2018 8:17:00 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
The House passed a non-binding measure Thursday to denounce a carbon tax, calling it “detrimental” to the United States.
The resolution, sponsored by House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), states that a tax on emissions of carbon dioxide — the most prevalent greenhouse gas that causes climate change — “would be detrimental to American families and businesses, and is not in the best interest of the United States.”
It passed 229-180 with two members voting present.
Only six Republicans voted against the resolution: Reps. Carlos Curbelo (Fla.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Trey Hollingsworth (Ind.), Mia Love (Utah), Francis Rooney (Fla.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.).
Seven Democrats broke with their caucus to vote “yes”: Reps. Sanford Bishop (Ga.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Conor Lamb (Pa.), Stephanie Murphy (Fla.), Tom O’Halleran (Ariz.) and Kirsten Sinema (Ariz.).
Two lawmakers voted “present,” indicating neither support nor opposition: Reps. Ryan Costello (R-Pa.) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.).
The risk of lawmakers passing a carbon tax is low, considering widespread GOP opposition and Republican control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.
But Republicans nonetheless felt it was important to make a statement to denounce the possibility.
“This resolution will send a clear signal to the American people that we oppose policies that would drive up energy prices for families and for businesses,” Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) said Thursday on the House floor.
“A standalone carbon tax, generally, would have such detrimental effects on the economy and would be an unwarranted and transparent grab for revenue,” he said.
“The adverse economic effects of such a tax would be felt throughout the economy, falling hardest on the most vulnerable, young, the poor, the elderly and those on fixed incomes.”
Scalise said a carbon tax is a real threat. His home state, Louisiana, relies heavily on offshore oil and natural gas drilling for its economy, an industry that could be hit hard by a tax on the carbon emissions that fossil fuels create.
“Believe me, there are some people in Washington that are talking about trying to bring a carbon tax. To act like, ‘Oh, there’s no talk about it at all.’ Clearly, there are people here in this chamber that want to impose a carbon tax,” he said on the floor.
“Let’s be clear about how devastating that would be to the American people,” he said, citing research from conservative groups that a carbon tax would increase the average family’s costs by $1,900 a year.
Democrats’ dismissed the resolution as a waste of time instead of defending carbon taxes.
Rep. Richard Neal (Mass.), the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, accused Republicans of squandering “the valuable time of this body arguing over a pointless resolution that will accomplish nothing for the people of America, whether it’s accepted or rejected. Nothing.”
Neal and his colleagues said the GOP should focus on other pressing issues, like access to health care and the impacts of last year’s tax overhaul.
“Here we have a fake debate and fake legislation that’s going nowhere, instead of actual real hearings,” said Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.).
A similar resolution denouncing a carbon tax passed the House in 2016.
Carbon taxes are popular among Democrats and environmentalists as a way to charge companies and consumers for their impacts on the climate.
Some Republicans have endorsed the idea as well, like the conservative R Street Institute and a group of former GOP statesmen led by former Secretary of State Jim Baker. Baker’s coalition launched its advocacy last year, trying to convince Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration that a carbon tax is a good idea.
Curbelo is making waves in the carbon tax debate with his plans to formally propose a carbon tax.
Curbelo — who voted in favor of the resolution condemning the idea of a carbon tax in 2016 — is planning to introduce his carbon tax bill next week.
The legislation would eliminate the federal gasoline tax and replace it with a $23-per-ton tax on carbon emissions on entities like power plants and oil refineries starting in 2020, E&E News reported.
Curbelo — one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the House who represents a district heavily impacted by sea-level rise and other impacts of climate change — is looking for the levy to bring down carbon emissions in addition to raising funding for infrastructure.
“This is designed ambitiously,” he told The Wall Street Journal. “For some, it will be a clean energy bill. For some, it will be an infrastructure bill. … For others, it will be the bill that saves the planet. And all of those characterizations will be accurate.”
The Curbelo bill will likely face an uphill battle in the House with little Republican support.
Thursday’s resolution also served as a major test for the Climate Solutions Caucus, which launched in 2016. It is a bipartisan group of 86 lawmakers, split evenly between the parties, who generally agree that they want to fight climate change, but rarely agree on policies to do so.
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), who leads the caucus with Curbelo, told its members this week that the Scalise resolution represents an important opportunity to stand up for the climate.
“This is an important moment for the Climate Solutions Caucus to show the American people that Democrats and Republicans can stand together against anti-climate efforts,” he said in a letter to the caucus.
“I urge my colleagues of the Climate Solutions Caucus — Democrats and Republicans — to vote no on this damaging, anti-climate resolution. A 'yes' vote would be sorely disappointing to everyone who believes this caucus can help shape a rational response to climate change.”
Also Democrat John Breaux, Democrat from oil-state Louisiana, a somewhat moderate Democrat - meaning much more conservative than any Democrat today.
When Clinton proposed the carbon tax, Breaux said something to the effect “Well, I’m not exactly sure that would be such a great idea.” Translated: “F-off Clinton, no dice”.
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