This week, the House Energy & Commerce Committee will vote on the Energy Tax Prevention Act (H.R. 910), Pledge to America legislation to stop the EPA from implementing the Obama Administration’s backdoor national energy tax that will drive up gas prices further and destroy American jobs. The Energy Tax Prevention Act is a critical part of the GOP’s American Energy Initiative, an ongoing effort to address gas prices and create jobs, in part, by stopping the onerous government regulations that are driving up prices. In a hearing on the Energy Tax Prevention Act earlier this month, U.S. job creators and economists underscored the need to protect American jobs from the potentially devastating impact of the EPA’s backdoor national energy tax:
- Mr. Mike Carey, President, Ohio Coal Association: “Without legislation to stop the USEPA from regulating greenhouse gases, we will see over seventy-seven percent (77%) of all coal mining jobs in America disappear by 2030, per three (3) independent studies. Electricity prices will increase, and our manufacturing base will continue its migration to other parts of the world.” (Testimony, 3/1/11)
- Paul N. Cicio, President, Industrial Energy Consumers of America: “For industry to increase jobs and thrive, we need economic and regulatory/legal certainty. Unfortunately, the EPA GHG regulation is just one of several new, expansive, and expensive regulations that impact manufacturing directly and indirectly. … To be sure, the list is staggering and of great concern because each come with a cost and regulatory uncertainty. Each of the initiatives will result in significant costs in their own right, but taken together they could be devastating.” (Testimony, 3/1/11)
- Hugh Joyce, Owner, James River Air Conditioning, Inc.: “Simply put, more confusion and greater uncertainty means less work and fewer jobs. The regulatory environment coming out of Washington means small firms like mine are continually and increasingly dissuaded from making long-term business investments. Instead of taking on new projects which, in turn, could add jobs in industries like mine, we will be forced to remain stagnant.” (Testimony, 3/1/11)
- Economist W. David Montgomery, Ph.D., Vice President of Charles River Associates: “Energy-intensive industries would be affected directly by greenhouse regulations as well as by higher electricity prices, making their competitiveness relative to other countries decline and demand for their products fall. Natural gas demand would rise significantly to replace coal, putting additional upward pressure on natural gas prices.” (Testimony, 3/1/11)
According to a report released by the Heritage Foundation, the EPA’s backdoor national energy tax could result in “[a]nnual job losses [that] exceed 800,000 for several years.” As Subcommittee on Energy & Power Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) warns: “The EPA is pursuing a dramatic shift in our nation’s energy and environmental policy that would send shock waves through our economy.”
On Wednesday, Republicans will host a forum to give America’s job creators the opportunity to share their ideas for creating new, private-sector jobs. Republicans are listening, and will continue pushing for legislation, like the Energy Tax Prevention Act, to rein in the onslaught of job-crushing regulations coming out of Washington.
