Crunch time on Cap-and-Trade: House vote this week!

By Lt. Col. (R) Stuart A. Jolly, State Director for Americans for Prosperity-Oklahoma

Let your voice be heard on this issue. This bill in more about power than it is about global warming. It’s a hidden tax on everyone – pure and simple.

FYI: The Hill is reporting today that Democrats have reached an agreement to move forward with a House vote on the huge cap-and-trade energy tax known as Waxman-Markey this week. The details aren’t known yet, but you can bet that this already-disastrous bill that will send energy prices skyrocketing while having no discernible impact on global average temperature will only get worse as even more special interests are bought off at the expense of taxpayers.

It’s crucial that you contact your Congressman immediately and tell him to vote no cap-and-trade.

You can call the Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121
or use this form on the AFP web site.

Grassroots can make the difference! Thank you.

I’ve also pasted the letter (below) sent to Rep. Boren this week from many organizations including AFP concerned about the ramifications of cap-and-trade and the vote this week. See below and get involved. It’s crunch time!!

An Open Letter to Representative Boren
Oppose Cap-and-Trade Tax Hike!

June 18, 2009

The Honorable Dan Boren
United States House of Representatives
216 Cannon House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Boren:

On behalf of the thousands of Oklahomans represented by the undersigned organizations, we urge you to oppose H.R. 2454, the Waxman-Markey “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.” This “cap-and-trade” system constitutes a mammoth tax hike and would crush our already-ailing economy.

H.R. 2454 would be a massive new tax heaped on top of existing burdens. Capping emissions and requiring entities to purchase additional allowances from the federal government will lead to an explosion in revenue. President Obama’s own aides have admitted that it could drain as much as $2 trillion from hard-working Americans.

This is a burden that would fall most heavily upon the least fortunate among us, many of whom are struggling without the imposition of such a tax. H.R. 2454 would increase taxes to the tune of $3,100 on every American family and raise their annual energy bills by $1,500. This is especially troublesome for poor American families who spend 26 percent of their income paying for energy, compared to just 4 percent for the median family. Your 2nd district already has a median household income roughly $15,000 below the national average, and a poverty rate over 20 percent, much higher than the national average. Adding to the economic pain your constituents are suffering is an unconscionable policy in these difficult times.

If Congress deems carbon dioxide emissions to be a problem worthy of attention, then it should confront them without raising taxes on struggling American families in the process.

If you do not support enacting the largest tax hike in history, which would be the unavoidable consequence of Waxman-Markey, then we urge you to sign the simple pledge attached to this letter which states that you will oppose any climate change legislation that would lead to a net increase in revenue. Only by signing such a pledge can one claim to protect taxpayers.

Again, we urge you to defend hard-working Oklahomans and oppose H.R. 2454, the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill.

Sincerely,

Duane Parde
National Taxpayers Union

Brian M. Johnson
Alliance for Worker Freedom

Susan A. Carleson
American Civil Rights Union

Tim Phillips
Americans for Prosperity

Stuart Jolly
Americans for Prosperity Oklahoma

Grover Norquist
Americans for Tax Reform

Dan Varroney
American Solutions

Jeffrey Mazzella
Center for Individual Freedom

Phyllis Schlafly
Eagle Forum

Max Pappas
FreedomWorks

Mario H. Lopez
Hispanic Leadership Fund

Brian Dutcher
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc.

Karen Kerrigan
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council

Also on: AFPHQ.org