Rep. Calvert Blasts Dangerous Cap and Tax Bill

Statement

Rep. Calvert Blasts Dangerous Cap and Tax Bill

Votes Against Legislation Rammed Through the House

Today Rep. Calvert voted against H.R. 2454, the so-called "Cap and Trade" bill introduced by U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, and Ed Markey D-Mass. The bill passed the House by 219 to 212.

"What people should know first about cap and trade is that it is a tax, despite the effort -1,200 pages' worth - to hide that fact," stated Rep. Calvert. "The cap and tax bill will increase the price of fossil fuels, with the cost passed on to consumers. The point of the bill is to force Americans to use less energy and force energy providers to create new, alternative sources. The result is that millions of Americans will lose their jobs as more and more companies leave an unfriendly business environment in the U.S."

Economic organizations and think tanks from around the country have studied the economic impacts of the bill before us and the results are not good. A study conducted by the National Black Chamber of Commerce determined that by 2030 the Waxman-Markey bill will cut net employment by 2.5 million jobs - even after accounting for new "green" jobs. Similar studies by the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation also project huge job losses.

"The reality is that the cap and tax bill will kill jobs, weaken our economic security, and enact punitive measures that will only make matters worse for families struggling to get by," said Rep. Calvert. "Beyond my strong objections to the substance of the bill, I was very disappointed that Speaker Pelosi closed the process so severely that out of 224 amendments submitted for consideration, only one was allowed."

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