Obama's Carbon Tax is Fading

Donald Lambro believes that Obama's anti-fossil fuel carbon cap-and-trade tax on all Americans will not pass Congress. Democratic Congressmen from the Midwest, which has many coal-fired power plants and factories, are turning against the idea as they realize that their constituents are not as interested in the environment as they are in economic growth. Gallup Poll asked Americans last week if given the choice between economic growth and environmental protection, 51% of Americans would now give growth priority even if the environment suffers somewhat.

Obama had been counting on the cap-and-trade tax to pay for his middle-class tax cuts after 2010 and for funding alternative energy research and development projects. He may lose the means to fund his cockamamie alternative energy dreams, but from the start of his administration he has consistently taken actions to hurt the oil and coal industries and everyone who uses oil and coal. He has increased regulations and taxes on these industries already. His $4 trillion budget is full of anti-fossil fuel provisions designed to increase energy costs, kill jobs in the oil, gas, and coal industries, and to make us more dependent upon foreign oil. Obama has shut down all efforts to increase oil and gas exploration, development, and production. He has denied permits to drill for oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico and shut down hopes of doing so in ANWR. He is adding a 25% tax on all oil production and a 15% tax on all natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico as part of his budget. This will kill jobs in the Gulf states, not to mention the effect it will have on everyone in higher fuel costs.

The House had been committed to making its offices carbon neutral. But last month, they dropped this plan. Meanwhile, the Capitol Power Plant, a few blocks from the Capitol, burns coal for 35% of the power it produces. It is the leading source of air pollution in the District of Columbia. The Democrat Congress will not apply the same rules to itself which it has wanted to impose on the American people.