H.R. 2454 - Cap & Trade Bill

The Cap & Trade Bill formally known as H.R. 2454 that states, “To create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy” is coming up for a vote this Friday, June 26th. Nancy Pelosi scheduled the vote because she feels that Farm Belt Democrats will get on board now that Henry Waxman has offered a verbal promise that people in rural areas – farmers – will not face a large increase in their energy bills. President Obama has touted this bill as a job creator. But conservatives know that this bill is an economy slower.

The legislation, co-sponsored by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D., Calif.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D., Mass.), had stalled last week due to some push back from Farm Belt. The Cap & Trade bill will cap greenhouse-gas emissions at 17% of 2005 levels by 2020 and at roughly 80% by 2050, creating a market for companies to buy and sell the right to emit carbon dioxide and other gases. This is true money maker for whoever sells carbon offsets. People like Al Gore and companies like General Electric will profit nicely. Greenhouse gas emissions have yet to be proven as the cause for global warming and yet Americans will be forced to suffer at the hands of this bill. The typical American family will pay $2,000 more in energy bills each year. Jobs in coal will be lost. Our economy will slow as the use of solar and wind blocks progress.

The bill mandates a new renewable electricity standard and establishes new national building codes. Governor Sarah Palin has come against these new building codes which will not work for Alaskans. President Obama claims that the bill is "extraordinarily important for our country." The President also sent out his propaganda machine to convince the country that Cap & Trade is a good thing for us via his Energy, Interior, Transportation and Labor secretaries.

Steny Hoyer is promising that the bill will be passed by late Friday or even a special meeting on Saturday despite the most contentious part of the bill which is the climate change portion. Republicans and some Democrats are promising that the measure will drive jobs overseas. And it does not take a rocket scientist to know that China will leave America even further in its dust since they will not abide by any regulations and use as much oil as they want. John Boehner summed the bill up well in his op-ed piece for the Washington Times writing, "Under the guise of reducing carbon emissions, Democrats are poised to force anyone who drives a car, buys an American-made product, or flips on a light switch to pay a national energy tax."

Contact your representatives before Friday!