Would Colleen Hanabusa Have Voted For Her Party’s National Energy Tax?

One Year Later, Economy Still Struggles as Job-Killing Cap and Trade Bill Hangs Over the Democrats’ Heads

www.NRCC.org  

Washington- Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of the Democrats’ national energy tax, but it’s not exactly cause for celebration. This time last year, Colleen Hanabusa's Washington friends rubber-stamped a job-killing national energy tax that would increase costs on everything from electricity bills to groceries. While it’s not surprising that the out-of-touch Democrat majority would vote for tax-increasing legislation, this one is particularly egregious. According to the Department of Treasury’s own admission, the national energy tax could pile on an additional $1,761 in new taxes to struggling middle-class families. This begs the question: Would Hanabusa have supported the national energy tax?

“A previously unreleased analysis prepared by the U.S. Department of Treasury says the total in new taxes would be between $100 billion to $200 billion a year. At the upper end of the administration's estimate, the cost per American household would be an extra $1,761 a year.” (Declan McCullagh, “Obama Admin: Cap And Trade Could Cost Families $1,761 A Year,” CBS News, 9/15/2009)

In a time of economic peril, the Democrats’ national energy tax could put up to 2.4 million American jobs at risk:

“By 2030, as emission reduction targets tighten and other W/M provisions phase out, U.S. jobs decline by 1.8 million under the low cost case and by 2.4 million under the high cost case.” (“Economic Impact of the Waxman-Markey Bill, H.R. 2454 Proposed Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” National Association of Manufacturers, 8/12/2009) 

While Democrats admit to the fact that some jobs will be lost as a result of cap-and-trade, they have been disingenuous in their claims that new “green jobs” will be created to replace those that are lost:

“Now it looks like the U.S. is lucky to be lagging in alternative-energy investment. The Alvarez study says that following the Spanish model, held up by Obama as a standard the U.S. should follow, is likely to cause 6.6 million to 11 million job losses "as a direct consequence were it to actually create 3 to 5 million 'green jobs.' “

“Renewable energy is trendy and for many offers political gain. But Washington should shut down the green economy nonsense before too much of other people's money is spent on projects that do more harm than good.” (“The Green Jobs Myth,” Investors Business Daily, 5/20/2010)

“One year ago, Colleen Hanabusa's Washington friends rubber-stamped their party’s job-killing national energy tax, hitting California families with an additional $1,761 in new costs and putting up to 2.4 million American jobs at stake,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “While middle-class families are struggling to pay their bills, Hanabusa's Washington friends have been reaching into their pocketbooks, further confirming widespread belief that the Democrat majority is hopelessly out of touch with the people they’re supposed to represent. And now that economists are debunking the Democrats’ false claim that green jobs will compensate for industrial jobs lost, what’s their excuse for supporting the national energy tax?”

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