So argue a group of conservative leaders in the following
statement:
Although Americans want Washington to stay focused on putting the
economy back on track, Nancy Pelosi and her liberal Democratic
Congress are trying to enact legislation that will keep the
economy crippled. Analysts agree that
the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill would cost millions of
American jobs, shrink our economy and impose huge increases in
gas prices, heating and electric bills on American
families. We urge moderate Democrats to join Republicans
and to vote “NO” on this devastatingly harmful bill.
The list of reasons to oppose cap-and-trade legislation keeps
getting longer and longer:
-
LOSES JOBS. At least 1.1 million
American jobs every year and as many as 2.5 million in some
years will be lost or sent overseas. Studies show
that 2.2 existing jobs are wiped out for every 1 “green” job
created in countries where cap-and-trade has been adopted.
-
HURTS THE WORKING CLASS. The National
Black Chamber of Commerce forecasts net 2.5 million jobs
lost after accounting for new “green” jobs. Most will be
lower or moderate income jobs that America cannot afford to
lose.
-
INCREASES TAXES. “Cap-and-trade is a tax
and it’s a great big one,” says Democrat John Dingell --
somewhere between $1 and $1.9 trillion over five years
according to White House economic advisor Jason Furman.
What happened to Obama’s campaign pledge that he would never
raise taxes on people making less than $250,000 per year?
-
RAISES ENERGY COSTS. Obama promised that
his cap-and-trade bill would make energy costs
“skyrocket.” At least he is keeping his promise
here. But the cost of most goods and services will
necessarily skyrocket as well.
-
DAMAGES THE ECONOMY. Cap-and-trade will
increase the national debt by 26% by 2035, and will reduce the
gross domestic product by $9.6 trillion
($9,600,000,000,000).
-
ALL PAIN/NO GAIN. Even the flawed
alarmist models find that the cap-and-trade bill would
have almost no impact on global warming. The liberal
Breakthrough Institute calculates greenhouse emission will be
cut by just 0.5% through 2020. That doesn’t even count
all the new greenhouse gas produced by China, India and other
countries as American jobs move overseas.
The House of Representatives needs to come to its senses – don’t
pass a massive job-killer in the middle of the worst economic
crisis in decades. If it doesn’t, the Senate must stop this
train before it derails our economy.
The statement was signed by the following leading conservatives:
Becky Norton Dunlop, Former Assistant Secretary of
Interior
Tim Phillips, President, Americans for
Prosperity
Fred Smith, President, Competitive Enterprise
Institute
Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
Duane Parde, President, National Taxpayers Union
Brent Bozell, President, Media Research Center
Wendy Wright, President, Concerned Women for
America
Richard Viguerie, Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com
Alfred Regnery, Publisher, American Spectator
