H.Con.Res. 8 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. CON. RES. 8 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 15, 2013 Mr. McKinley (for himself, Mr. Pompeo, Mr. Upton, Mr. Barton, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Rogers of Kentucky, Mr. Terry, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, and Mrs. Capito) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the opposition of Congress to Federal efforts to establish a carbon tax on fuels for electricity and transportation. Whereas affordable and abundant electricity from coal and natural gas is a strategic resource that is essential to modern life, America’s economic competitiveness, and, ultimately, independence from foreign and volatile sources of energy; Whereas the application of a carbon tax to gasoline and other transportation fuels will have a dramatic, immediate impact on transportation costs, with the greatest impact being felt by low-income Americans and their families; Whereas a carbon tax is designed to result in substantial, immediate increases in the price of electricity, making electricity less affordable for millions of Americans; Whereas a carbon tax applicable to coal and natural gas electricity generation would be punitive and harmful to the American people by artificially raising electricity costs; Whereas, with continuing high national joblessness and an unemployment rate exceeding 7.8 percent every month since February 2009, a carbon tax will drive the unemployment rate even higher; Whereas a carbon tax is likely to have an uneven effect, hitting different regions of the country and segments of the economy much more severely than others; Whereas a carbon tax is regressive and will impose the greatest burden on low-income individuals and families who already spend the largest share of their income on energy and are least able to afford a carbon tax; Whereas economic modeling of Australia’s recently implemented carbon tax shows that it increases energy costs, and reduces growth in GDP, productivity, and household incomes; Whereas a carbon tax in the United States will have no impact on China, India, and other major sources of carbon emissions throughout the world, except to increase their competitiveness with the United States; and Whereas a carbon tax will put United States exporters at a competitive disadvantage by increasing domestic manufacturing production costs: Now, therefore, be it That Congress opposes Federal efforts to establish a carbon tax on fuels for electricity and transportation.