Over 500 Lawmakers and Businesspersons Oppose Cap and Trade

Click here to read ATR's press release.

Click here to view this letter as a PDF.

23 September 2009
 
Chairman Barbara Boxer
Committee on Environment and Public Works
410 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510-6175   

Ranking Member James M. Inhofe
Committee on Environment and Public Works
456 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510-6175     

Dear Chairman Boxer & Ranking Member Inhofe,

On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) and millions of American taxpayers, I urge you to oppose the House-passed H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy and Security Act, also known as the Waxman-Markey plan or cap-and-trade.

I also wish to remind you of the diverse list of 503 federal and state lawmakers, national and state business/agriculture/citizen organizations who oppose this bill (a list of which is attached).

The concerns are still the same; this bill increases the price of energy and taxes all American families, not just those making over $250,000 as President Obama promised:

• Direct energy costs will go up $1,500 per year for the typical family of four.
• Even with a 26% reduction is use, electric bills will be $754 higher in 2035 than in the absence of Waxman-Markey, and $12,200 higher in total from 2012 to 2035.
•  Even with a 15% decrease in gas consumption – prices will still go up! A family of four will still pay $596 more in 2035 and $7,500 more in total from 2012 to 2035.
• From 2012-2035, a family of four will see its direct energy costs rise by $22,800.
• On average, employment will be lower by 1,105,000 jobs per year. In some years, cap and trade will reduce employment by nearly 2.5 million jobs.
• Waxman-Markey will drive up the national debt 26 percent by 2035. This represents an additional $29,150 per person, or $116,600 for a family of four.

Americans for Tax Reform is not alone in our constant opposition to this bill. The attached 121 state legislators representing 39 states, 212 U.S. House Members, and 170 national and state business, agricultural and citizen groups continue to oppose this bill.

Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Inhofe, I urge you to review the list of attached opposition and NOT pass this, or any national energy tax legislation out of Committee. 

For more information, please contact federal affairs manager Brian Johnson in my office at bjohnson@atr.org or 202-785-0266.

Onward,
 
Grover G. Norquist
cc: All U.S. Senators
121 State Legislators from 39 States, 212 U.S. House Members & 170 National and State Business/Ag/Citizen Groups Opposed to “Cap-and-Trade”

State Legislators:
Alabama State Representative Greg Wren      
Alabama State Senator Steve French      
Arizona State Representative Cecil Ash      
Arizona State Representative Debbie Lesko      
Arizona State Representative John McComish      
Arizona State Representative Nancy Barto      
Arizona State Senate Majority Whip Pamela Gorman      
Arizona State Senator Jack Harper      
Arizona State Senator John Nelson      
Arizona State Senator Ron Gould      
Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce      
Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen      
Arkansas State Senator Johnny Key      
Colorado State Senator Scott Renfroe      
Connecticut Center-Right Coalition, D. Dowd Muska      
Connecticut State Representative Bill Hamzy      
Connecticut State Representative John Piscopo      
Florida State Representative Alan Hays, DMD      
Florida State Representative Sandra Adams      
Georgia State Representative Ed Setzler      
Georgia State Representative Melvin Everson      
Georgia State Representative Randy Nix      
Georgia State Representative Tom Rice      
Georgia State Representative Wendell Willard      
Georgia State Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers      
Georgia State Senator Chip Rogers      
Hawaii State Senator Sam Slom      
Illinois State Representative Dave Winters      
Indiana State Representative Cindy Noe      
Indiana State Representative Eric Koch      
Indiana State Representative Jeff Thompson      
Indiana State Representative William Ruppel      
Indiana State Senator Brandt Hershman      
Kansas State  Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook      
Kansas State Representative Don Meyers      
Kansas State Representative Marc Rhoades      
Kansas State Representative Sharon Schwartz      
Kansas State Senator Tim Huelskamp      
Kentucky State Representative Mike Harmon      
Louisiana Republican National Committeeman, W. Ross Little, Jr.       
Louisiana State Representative Nickie Monica      
Louisiana State Representative Scott Simon      
Maryland State Delegate Nic Kipke      
Maryland State Representative Richard Sossi       
Maryland State Delegate Gail Bates      
Minnesota State Senator Mike Jungbauer      
Mississippi State Representative Becky Currie      
Missouri State Representative Bob Nance      
Missouri State Representative Cynthia Davis      
Missouri State Representative Dwight Scharnhost      
Missouri State Representative Shane Schoeller       
Missouri State Representative Stanley Cox      
Missouri State Representative Tim Flook      
Missouri State Representative Walter Bivins      
Missouri State Senator Jim Lembke      
Montana State Representative Bob Lake       
Montana State Representative Cary Smith      
Montana State Representative Chas Vincent       
Montana State Representative Gary MacLaren      
Montana State Representative Mike Miller      
Nebraska State Treasurer Shane Osborn      
New Hampshire State Representative Betsey McKinney      
New Hampshire State Representative Beverly Rodeschin      
New Hampshire State Representative Jennifer Coffey      
New Hampshire State Representative John Reagan      
New Jersey State Assemblyman Michael J. Doherty       
New Mexico Former State Representative Frank Bird      
New Mexico Former State Representative Justine Fox-Young      
New Mexico Former State Representative, Sen. & Lieutenant Governor Jack Stahl      
New Mexico Former State Senator Mickey D. Barnett       
New Mexico Republican Party, John E. Rockwell      
New Mexico State Senator Steve Neville      
New Mexico, Bernalillo County Sheriff, Darren P. White      
New York Assemblyman Greg Ball      
North Carolina Deputy Republican Senate Leader Neal Hunt      
North Carolina State Representative George Cleveland      
North Carolina State Representative Mitch Gillespie      
North Carolina State Representative Pat McElraft      
North Dakota State Representative Chuck Damschen      
North Dakota State Representative Ken Svedjan      
Ohio State House Assistant Minority Whip Sean Chichelli,       
Ohio State House Minority Whip John Adamns,       
Ohio State Senator Bob Gibbs      
Ohio State Senator Kevin Coughlin      
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc., Brandon Dutcher      
Oklahoma State Representative Colby Schwartz      
Oklahoma State Representative Leslie Osborn      
Oklahoma State Representative Mike Sanders      
Oregon State Representative  Matt Wingard      
Oregon State Representative George Gilman      
Oregon State Representative John Huffman      
Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl Metcalfe      
Pennsylvania State Representative Jeff Pyle      
Pennsylvania State Representative Kathy Rapp      
Pennsylvania State Representative Matthew Baker      
South Carolina State Senator David Thomas      
South Dakota State Representative Val Rausch      
Tennessee State Representative Ben West, Jr.       
Tennessee State Representative Susan Lynn      
Texas State Representative Joe Driver      
Utah State Representative Bradley Daw      
Utah State Representative Lorie Fowlke      
Utah State Senator Ralph Okerlund      
Virginia House of Delegates Member Kathy Byron      
Washington State Minority Whip Bill Hinkle      
Washington State Representative Jan Angel      
Washington State Representative Shelly Short      
Washington State Senator Val Stevens      
West Virginia House of Delegates Member Troy Andes      
West Virginia State Delegate Jonathan Miller      
West Virginia State Delegate Ronald Walters, Sr.      
West Virginia State Representative Troy Andes      
Wisconsin State Representative John Nygren      
Wisconsin State Representative Leah Vukmir      
Wisconsin State Representative Mike Huebsch      
Wisconsin State Representative Robin Vos      
Wyoming State Representative Allen Jaggi      
Wyoming State Representative Amy Edmonds      
Wyoming State Representative David Miller      
Wyoming State Representative Peter S. “Pete” Illoway      
Wyoming State Representative Sue Wallis     

National & State Citizen/Business/Trade Organizations: 
Alabama Policy Institute      
Alliance for Worker Freedom      
American Civil Rights Union      
American Conservative Union      
American Council for Health Care Reform      
American Energy Alliance      
American Highway Users Alliance      
American Meat Association      
American Principles in Action       
American Shareholders Association      
American Solutions      
Americans for Limited Government       
Americans for Prosperity      
Americans for Tax Reform      
Americans for the Preservation of Liberty      
Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions      
Caesar Rodney Institute      
Center for Fiscal Accountability      
Center for Individual Freedom      
Center Right Coalition of Central Florida       
Charles W. Baird, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Emeritus, CSU East Bay      
Citizen Outreach Project      
Citizens for Limited Taxation (MA)       
Citizens for Responsible Government      
Citizens United      
Clean Oceans Technology Coalition      
Club for Growth      
College Republican National Committee      
Competitive Enterprise Institute      
Congress of Racial Equality       
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste      
Eagle Forum      
Ethan Allen Institute      
Evergreen Freedom Foundation      
Florida Center-Right Coalition, Rick Watson      
FRCAction      
FreedomWorks      
Frontiers of Freedom      
Georgia Eagle Forum      
Grassroots Institute of Hawaii      
Hawaiian Values       
Hispanic Alliance for Progress       
Hispanic Leadership Fund      
Illinois Policy Institute      
Independence Institute      
Indiana Eagle Forum      
Institute for Liberty      
IPAA      
Let Freedom Ring      
Louisiana Family Forum       
Maryland Center-Right Coalition, Richard Falknor      
Michigan Eagle Forum      
Minnesota Eagle Forum      
Mississippi Center for Public Policy      
Montanans for Tax Reform      
National Association of Home Builders      
National Association of Manufacturers        
National Black Chamber of Commerce       
National Center for Public Policy Research      
National Federation of Independent Businesses       
National Tax Limitation Committee       
National Taxpayers Union      
National Wholesale Distributors       
Nevada Eagle Forum      
New Jersey Seed      
New Mexico Shooting Sports Association      
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs      
Partnership for America’s Energy Security      
Pelican Institute for Public Policy      
Pennsylvania Eagle Forum      
Project 21      
Property Rights Alliance      
Property Rights Association of Minnesota      
Quantum Communications      
RightMarch.com      
Samuel Properties, Ltd.      
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council      
Smart Business Hawaii      
Society of American Florists      
Talbott Advisors, Inc.      
Taxpayer Association of Oregon      
Tennessee Eagle Forum      
Tennessee Tax Revolt, Inc.      
Texas Eagle Forum      
The Harbour League      
The Rule of Law Committee      
US Chamber of Commerce      
Western Business Roundtable      
Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce      
Wyoming Liberty Group      

Other Groups Listed as Not Supporting:
American Farmers & Ranchers       
AmeriFlax      
Corn Producers Association of Texas      
Missouri Farm Bureau      
National Corn Growers Association      
National Chicken Council      
Nation Turkey Federation      
North Dakota Grain Growers Association      
North Dakota Farm Bureau      
North Dakota Grain Dealers Association      
North Dakota Stockmen’s Association      
North Dakota Soybean Growers Association      
Northern Canola Growers ASSWOCAITON      
Northern Pulse Growers Association      
North Dakota Wheat Commission      
North Dakota Barley Council      
Nebraska Farm Bureau      
New Mexico Peanut Growers Association      
North Carolina Peanut Growers Association       
Panhandle Peanut Growers Association      
Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Association       
Ohio Corn Growers Association      
Ohio Wheat Growers Association      
Ohio Poultry Association      
Ohio Farm Bureau      
Oklahoma Peanut Commission      
South Carolina Peanut Growers Association      
South Dakota Farm Bureau      
Texas Farm Bureau      
Texas Peanut Producers Board      
Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers Association      
United Egg Producers       
Virginia Peanut Growers Association      
Western Peanut Growers Association     

House Members Who Voted “NO” on H.R. 2454:
Aderholt, Robert [R]    AL-4      
Akin, W. [R]    MO-2      
Alexander, Rodney [R]    LA-5      
Altmire, Jason [D]    PA-4      
Arcuri, Michael [D]    NY-24      
Austria, Steve [R]    OH-7      
Bachmann, Michele [R]    MN-6      
Bachus, Spencer [R]    AL-6      
Barrett, James [R]    SC-3      
Barrow, John [D]    GA-12      
Bartlett, Roscoe [R]    MD-6      
Barton, Joe [R]    TX-6      
Berry, Robert [D]    AR-1      
Biggert, Judy [R]    IL-13      
Bilbray, Brian [R]    CA-50      
Bilirakis, Gus [R]    FL-9      
Bishop, Rob [R]    UT-1      
Blackburn, Marsha [R]    TN-7      
Blunt, Roy [R]    MO-7      
Boehner, John [R]    OH-8      
Bonner, Jo [R]    AL-1      
Boozman, John [R]    AR-3      
Boren, Dan [D]    OK-2      
Boustany, Charles [R]    LA-7      
Brady, Kevin [R]    TX-8      
Bright, Bobby [D]    AL-2      
Broun, Paul [R]    GA-10      
Brown, Henry [R]    SC-1      
Brown-Waite, Virginia [R]    FL-5      
Buchanan, Vern [R]    FL-13      
Burgess, Michael [R]    TX-26      
Burton, Dan [R]    IN-5      
Buyer, Stephen [R]    IN-4      
Calvert, Ken [R]    CA-44      
Camp, David [R]    MI-4      
Campbell, John [R]    CA-48      
Cantor, Eric [R]    VA-7      
Cao, Anh [R]    LA-2      
Capito, Shelley [R]    WV-2      
Carney, Christopher [D]    PA-10      
Carter, John [R]    TX-31      
Cassidy, Bill [R]    LA-6      
Chaffetz, Jason [R]    UT-3      
Childers, Travis [D]    MS-1      
Coble, Howard [R]    NC-6      
Coffman, Mike [R]    CO-6      
Cole, Tom [R]    OK-4      
Conaway, K. [R]    TX-11      
Costa, Jim [D]    CA-20      
Costello, Jerry [D]    IL-12      
Crenshaw, Ander [R]    FL-4      
Culberson, John [R]    TX-7      
Dahlkemper, Kathleen [D]    PA-3      
Davis, Artur [D]    AL-7      
Davis, Geoff [R]    KY-4      
Davis, Lincoln [D]    TN-4      
Deal, Nathan [R]    GA-9      
DeFazio, Peter [D]    OR-4      
Dent, Charles [R]    PA-15      
Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [R]    FL-21      
Diaz-Balart, Mario [R]    FL-25      
Donnelly, Joe [D]    IN-2      
Dreier, David [R]    CA-26      
Duncan, John [R]    TN-2      
Edwards, Thomas [D]    TX-17      
Ehlers, Vernon [R]    MI-3      
Ellsworth, Brad [D]    IN-8      
Emerson, Jo Ann [R]    MO-8      
Fallin, Mary [R]    OK-5      
Fleming, John [R]    LA-4      
Forbes, James [R]    VA-4      
Fortenberry, Jeffrey [R]    NE-1      
Foster, Bill [D]    IL-14      
Foxx, Virginia [R]    NC-5      
Franks, Trent [R]    AZ-2      
Frelinghuysen, Rodney [R]    NJ-11      
Gallegly, Elton [R]    CA-24      
Garrett, Scott [R]    NJ-5      
Gerlach, Jim [R]    PA-6      
Gingrey, John [R]    GA-11      
Gohmert, Louis [R]    TX-1      
Goodlatte, Robert [R]    VA-6      
Granger, Kay [R]    TX-12      
Graves, Samuel [R]    MO-6      
Griffith, Parker [D]    AL-5      
Guthrie, Brett [R]    KY-2      
Hall, Ralph [R]    TX-4      
Harper, Gregg [R]    MS-3      
Hastings, Doc [R]    WA-4      
Heller, Dean [R]    NV-2      
Hensarling, Jeb [R]    TX-5      
Herger, Walter [R]    CA-2      
Herseth, Stephanie [D]    SD-0      
Hoekstra, Peter [R]    MI-2      
Holden, Tim [D]    PA-17      
Hunter, Duncan [R]    CA-52      
Inglis, Bob [R]    SC-4      
Issa, Darrell [R]    CA-49      
Jenkins, Lynn [R]    KS-2      
Johnson, Samuel [R]    TX-3      
Johnson, Timothy [R]    IL-15      
Jones, Walter [R]    NC-3      
Jordan, Jim [R]    OH-4      
King, Peter [R]    NY-3      
King, Steve [R]    IA-5      
Kingston, Jack [R]    GA-1      
Kirkpatrick, Ann [D]    AZ-1      
Kissell, Larry [D]    NC-8      
Kline, John [R]    MN-2      
Kucinich, Dennis [D]    OH-10      
Lamborn, Doug [R]    CO-5      
Latham, Thomas [R]    IA-4      
LaTourette, Steven [R]    OH-14      
Latta, Robert [R]    OH-5      
Lee, Christopher [R]    NY-26      
Lewis, Jerry [R]    CA-41      
Linder, John [R]    GA-7      
Lucas, Frank [R]    OK-3      
Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R]    MO-9      
Lummis, Cynthia [R]    WY-0      
Lungren, Daniel [R]    CA-3      
Mack, Connie [R]    FL-14      
Manzullo, Donald [R]    IL-16      
Marchant, Kenny [R]    TX-24      
Marshall, James [D]    GA-8      
Massa, Eric [D]    NY-29      
Matheson, Jim [D]    UT-2      
McCarthy, Kevin [R]    CA-22      
McCaul, Michael [R]    TX-10      
McClintock, Tom [R]    CA-4      
McCotter, Thaddeus [R]    MI-11      
Mchenry, Patrick [R]    NC-10      
McIntyre, Mike [D]    NC-7      
McKeon, Howard [R]    CA-25      
Rodgers, Cathy [R]    WA-5      
Melancon, Charles [D]    LA-3      
Mica, John [R]    FL-7      
Miller, Candice [R]    MI-10      
Miller, Gary [R]    CA-42      
Miller, Jeff [R]    FL-1      
Minnick, Walter [D]    ID-1      
Mitchell, Harry [D]    AZ-5      
Mollohan, Alan [D]    WV-1      
Moran, Jerry [R]    KS-1      
Murphy, Tim [R]    PA-18      
Myrick, Sue [R]    NC-9      
Neugebauer, Randy [R]    TX-19      
Nunes, Devin [R]    CA-21      
Nye, Glenn [D]    VA-2      
Olson, Pete [R]    TX-22      
Ortiz, Solomon [D]    TX-27      
Paul, Ronald [R]    TX-14      
Paulsen, Erik [R]    MN-3      
Pence, Mike [R]    IN-6      
Petri, Thomas [R]    WI-6      
Pitts, Joseph [R]    PA-16      
Platts, Todd [R]    PA-19      
Poe, Ted [R]    TX-2      
Pomeroy, Earl [D]    ND-0      
Posey, Bill [R]    FL-15      
Price, Tom [R]    GA-6      
Putnam, Adam [R]    FL-12      
Radanovich, George [R]    CA-19      
Rahall, Nick [D]    WV-3      
Rehberg, Dennis [R]    MT-0      
Rodriguez, Ciro [D]    TX-23      
Roe, Phil [R]    TN-1      
Rogers, Harold [R]    KY-5      
Rogers, Michael [R]    AL-3      
Rogers, Michael [R]    MI-8      
Rohrabacher, Dana [R]    CA-46      
Rooney, Thomas [R]    FL-16      
Roskam, Peter [R]    IL-6      
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R]    FL-18      
Ross, Mike [D]    AR-4      
Royce, Edward [R]    CA-40      
Ryan, Paul [R]    WI-1      
Salazar, John [D]    CO-3      
Scalise, Steve [R]    LA-1      
Schmidt, Jean [R]    OH-2      
Schock, Aaron [R]    IL-18      
Sensenbrenner, F. [R]    WI-5      
Sessions, Peter [R]    TX-32      
Shadegg, John [R]    AZ-3      
Shimkus, John [R]    IL-19      
Shuster, William [R]    PA-9      
Simpson, Michael [R]    ID-2      
Smith, Adrian [R]    NE-3      
Smith, Lamar [R]    TX-21      
Souder, Mark [R]    IN-3      
Stark, Fortney [D]    CA-13      
Stearns, Clifford [R]    FL-6      
Tanner, John [D]    TN-8      
Taylor, Gene [D]    MS-4      
Terry, Lee [R]    NE-2      
Thompson, Glenn [R]    PA-5      
Thornberry, William [R]    TX-13      
Tiahrt, Todd [R]    KS-4      
Tiberi, Patrick [R]    OH-12      
Turner, Michael [R]    OH-3      
Upton, Frederick [R]    MI-6      
Visclosky, Peter [D]    IN-1      
Walden, Greg [R]    OR-2      
Wamp, Zach [R]    TN-3      
Westmoreland, Lynn [R]    GA-3      
Whitfield, Edward [R]    KY-1      
Wilson, Addison [R]    SC-2      
Wilson, Charles [D]    OH-6      
Wittman, Rob [R]    VA-1      
Wolf, Frank [R]    VA-10      
Young, C. W. [R]    FL-10      
Young, Donald [R]    AK-0

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