The GOP's Cap-And-Trade Falsehoods From The House Floor

The American Clean Energy And Security Act: Rebuilding American For The Cost Of A Postage Stamp

As Media Matters Action Network has repeatedly noted, the Republican claim that the American Clean Energy and Security Act would cost $3,100 a year is NOT TRUE

FactCheck.org: "The $3,100 Figure Is A Misrepresentation Of Both Obama's Proposal And The Study From Which The Number Is Derived." According to FactCheck.org: "Leading Republicans are claiming that President Obama's proposal to curb greenhouse gas emissions would cost households as much as $3,100 per year. The Republican National Committee calls it a 'massive national energy tax.' But the $3,100 figure is a misrepresentation of both Obama's proposal and the study from which the number is derived... If the government did use revenue from cap and trade 'to pay an equal lump-sum rebate to every household,' the CBO expert said, 'lower-income households could be better off.'" [FactCheck.org, 5/28/09; emphasis added]

The American Clean Energy and Security Act: Rebuilding America For The Cost Of A Postage Stamp:

Investment In Clean Energy Technology Will Create Over 1.7 Million American Jobs.  According to the Center for American Progress: "Investments in a clean-energy economy will generate major employment benefits for the entire U.S. economy. Our research finds that spending $150 billion on clean-energy investments would create roughly 1.7 million jobs. This is even after assuming a reduction in fossil fuel spending equivalent to the increase in clean-energy investments." [Center for American Progress, The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy, 6/17/09]

• In 2020, Cap-And-Trade Will Only Cost An Average Of $175 Annually, "About A Postage Stamp A Day." In its analysis of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Congressional Budget Office wrote: "On that basis, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the net annual economy wide cost of the cap-and-trade program in 2020 would be $22 billion-or about $175 per household." Rep. Edward Markey noted it was "the cost of about a postage stamp a day." [CBO, 6/19/09; House Committee on Energy & Commerce Release, 6/20/09]

• Cap-And-Trade Would DECREASE Energy Prices For Low-Income Americans. In its analysis of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Congressional Budget Office wrote, "households in the lowest income quintile would see an average net benefit of about $40 in 2020." [CBO, 6/19/09; emphasis original]

The GOP From A-to-Z: A Glossary Of Falsehoods From The House Floor

Rep. Akin: "I thought I heard the MIT professor say it was $3,100 per average family. This is something that's a little upsetting because first we have this promise. It couldn't be any more clear: If you're not making $250,000, you don't have to worry about this tax increase." [Akin Floor Remarks, 4/29/09]

Rep. Akin: "Now a guy from MIT took a look at what they thought that would be per household, and they were looking at $3,000. There is a lot of speculation as to how much it would be. But $3,000 for every household in America, that is really an incredible number." [Akin Floor Remarks, 5/13/09]

Rep. Akin: "We've got this cap-and-tax tax increase that you're talking about. That tax increase is going to be not on people over $250,000, but what this is going to be is a tax increase on the use of energy--of electricity, natural gas, propane, or whatever you're heating your house with. So just think about it a minute. This has been estimated to be $3,100 per family in America per year. That is a pretty big tax increase. That is like my entire property taxes on the house that I have now.  So I'm picturing, Congressman, if you think about it a little bit, and all of a sudden your energy is going up at such a tremendous rate and you're having to pay $3,000 more in taxes, what in the world are you going to do?" [Akin Floor Remarks, 3/31/09]

Rep. Austria: "The Congressional Budget Office, in the initial proposal that was brought forth by this administration, estimated that the cost of energy in the average household will go up approximately $1,600 per year. We have seen figures as high as $3,000 per year by MIT and other credible organizations that are following this very closely. So the cost of energy is going to go up on not just Ohioans, but all Americans." [Austria Floor Remarks, 5/19/09]

Rep. Bishop: "If we go with what the Democrats are already proposing, there will be an increase in the energy costs of every individual. It can be as high as $3,000, which is a legitimate number. But the problem is it is also disproportionate. There are some parts of the country that will have a bigger hit than others. And it is worse on the poor than any other segment." [Bishop Floor Remarks, 5/7/09]

Rep. Broun: "Cap-and-tax will raise the American family's energy costs by more than $3,100 each year. That amounts to the largest tax increase in the history of our Nation. Cap-and-tax is an overdose of new taxes. And mark my words, it will lead to catastrophic consequences. Experts almost unanimously agree that the cap-and-tax will destroy millions of jobs and devastate our economy, all of this while having marginal, if any, impact on global emissions." [Broun Floor Remarks, 6/4/09]

Rep. Broun: "Mr. Speaker, this week, the Energy and Commerce Committee will take up a bill that will put a huge tax on every single family in America--rich, poor and in between. It's going to hurt the people who can afford this tax the least--the poor, the retirees who are on a limited income. It has been estimated that this tax is going to increase the tax burden on every single family by over $3,000. Most families in this country can't afford to pay an extra $3,000 in taxes." [Broun Floor Remarks, 5/18/09]

Rep. Henry Brown: "The Democrat cap-and-tax plan will actually serve as a national energy tax, resulting in fewer jobs and more government control. More than $3,100 will be added to the annual energy costs of American families, a financial hardship that will greatly impact the poor, who spend a large part of their income on energy. These taxes will directly impact farmers in South Carolina as everyday costs of fuel and fertilizer become too expensive for them to afford." [Rep. Henry Brown (SC) Floor Remarks, 6/11/09]

Rep. Brown-Waite: "Well, ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, the President's cap-and-trade plan, or as many people call it, the cap-and-tax plan, does exactly that. There was a recent study conducted by MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and it was able to assess the fact that a total energy bill for the average household will increase over $3,000. As a matter of fact, it will be up by $3,128 per year. According to CBO testimony, those figures actually will relate." [Brown-Waite Floor Remarks, 3/18/09]

Rep. Burton: "We have a bill that's come out of committee that's going to be on the floor before too long called cap-and-trade. It's going to cost every single family in America between $3,000 to $4,000 in additional expenditures for electricity, additional taxes on gasoline that's passed on to them and other forms of energy because of CO2 emissions." [Burton Floor Remarks, 6/3/09]

Rep. Capito: "We've had the luxury of lower energy prices, and we are pleased about that. But it's escaping us, and in this bill, we will no longer have that.  If you look at the West Virginia electricity, prices under this bill will go up over 100. Think about that: 100 percent of your electricity bill, somewhere in the estimate of $2- to $3,000 a year." [Capito Floor Remarks, 6/9/09]

Rep. Cole: "This bad bill is nothing more, or less, than a national energy tax.  The legislation will force American families to pay, on average, more than $3,000 a year in additional energy costs." [Cole Floor Remarks, 6/26/09]

Rep. Fleming: "Cap-and-trade, or what has been more appropriately named cap-and-tax, would create $640 billion in new taxes on American businesses and raise electric bills by $3,100 per household per year on average. The revenue from the new tax will be used to pay for various social programs this administration plans to enact such as the government takeover of our health care." [Fleming Floor Remarks, 6/23/09]

Rep. Fleming: "Mr. Speaker, the crazy cap-and-tax idea advanced by my liberal colleagues would create $640 billion in new taxes on American businesses and raise electrical bills by $3,100 per household per year. This cap-and-tax proposal creates an artificial market to find revenue to pay for various social programs that this administration plans to enact, such as government takeover of our health care. This boondoggle will cap our growth and trade our jobs. Companies looking to invest in our economy will simply move overseas to escape this enormous tax increase." [Fleming Floor Remarks, 5/21/09]

Rep. Fleming: "The cap-and-tax program, not the cap-and-trade but cap-and-tax program, will increase taxes conservatively by $646 billion on energy to every household in America. These households can expect to pay more than $3,000 a year extra on their utility bills. This is money taken directly out of the pockets of working families struggling to pay bills each month." [Fleming Floor Remarks, 3/18/09]

Rep. Foxx: "Mr. Speaker, the Democrats' climate change ''compromise'' bill passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee is still a job killer that will hit every American with a national energy tax. This plan will have a devastating impact on the price at the pump and utility bills across the country. One estimate for a similar proposal found that families would pay more than $3,100 a year in extra energy costs." [Foxx Floor Remarks, 6/12/09]

Rep. Foxx: "Madam Speaker, under the Democrats' national energy tax plan, American households will pay on average $3,100 a year in extra energy costs, and between 1.8 and 7 million American jobs will be lost. The President admitted under his energy plan, energy prices would ''necessarily skyrocket'' and that the cost would be passed on to American consumers." [Foxx Floor Remarks, 6/3/09]

Rep. Foxx: "The Democrats' energy plan is really a $624 billion national energy tax that will hit nearly every American family. This new national energy tax will be paid by anyone who turns on a light switch or plugs in an appliance. With Democrats still hiding many of the important details of their energy plan, a study that looked at a similar proposal estimated that the impact will be roughly $3,100 every American household will have to pay to the Federal Government." [Foxx Floor Remarks, 5/19/09]

Rep. Foxx: "The President's budget included a cap-and-trade policy, otherwise known as cap-and-tax, that will hit every home utility bill and inflict more pain at the pump. Every American will be impacted by this dangerous policy. American households, on average, can expect to pay an additional $3,100 a year in energy costs.  The American people still live with the memory of $4 a gallon for gas and the hardship it inflicted on their family budgets. Even our Democrat colleagues say this." [Foxx Floor Remarks, 5/14/09]

Rep. Foxx: "The President's energy plan will force family energy costs to rise by more than $3,100 per year and will pull $860 billion out of family budgets and put it into the Federal budget. And this is being optimistic. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the real cost to be as high as $3 trillion over the next 10 years. That means $1,000 in energy tax hikes for every man, woman and child." [Foxx Floor Remarks, 5/12/09]

Rep. Foxx: "I think these small amounts of tax credits are being offset by the tremendous burden that we are putting on the people of this country by increased taxes, not the least of which is the cap-and-tax bill that is passing, which is going to put a minimum of $3,000 a year increased tax burden on every family in this country, as well as several other things that are coming down the pike." [Foxx Floor Remarks, 5/20/09]

Rep. Gingrey: "I think my colleagues have already pointed out that what the Democratic majority has done with this American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 has crammed down the throats of the American people not a comprehensive, all-of-the-above approach. It is not going to be a foundation for new prosperity from sea to shining sea because what it does is raise energy prices for every American family by an average of $3,000 a year." [Gingrey Floor Remarks, 6/2/09]

Rep. Gohmert. "Mr. Conaway had mentioned earlier that it will likely cost the average family across America an extra $3,031. And I know there will be some people out there who have seen some in the mainstream media say, oh, well, we saw where that guy from MIT said it won't cost that much. It may be $300 or $500 or $600, but it won't be $3,100.   Those people just bought the Democratic talking points and didn't bother to check to see why it was that they are saying that it won't cost over $3,000. From what I have read, apparently they are saying it won't cost over $3,000 because even though the average family will pay more than $3,000 additionally because of this bill, they are saying what you will get back from the government in the way of services and benefits will be a wash because of all that you will get out of the government as a result of that extra $3,000 you pay for energy in the first year. It won't be that much, because you will be grateful for all you get. Baloney." [Gohmert Floor Remarks, 6/26/09]

Rep. Hensarling: "Today's new idea, a new national energy tax costing every American family $1,500 to $3,000 a year, but only if they choose to turn on a light, cook a meal, or drive their children to school." [Hensarling Floor Remarks, 6/26/09]

Rep. Neugebauer: "At a time of economic hardship, Mr. Speaker, this Waxman-Markey energy bill is all tax and no energy. It is going to cost every American family a $3,100 increase in their energy costs. Farm income is expected to decrease $8 billion in the near term and almost $50 billion in the outyears, a 57 percent decrease in farm income over the next 20 years." [Neugebauer Floor Remarks, 6/10/09]

Rep. Pence: "According to a study done by MIT, divided by the number of households in this country, if the Democrats' cap-and-trade legislation becomes law, the energy costs of the average American household would rise by more than $3,000 per year. According to some independent estimates as well, if their legislation became law, various studies suggest 1.8 million to 7 million jobs could be lost in this country." [Pence Floor Remarks, 6/3/09]

Rep. Pence: "I come to the floor tonight with an issue of enormous importance before the American people on my mind. And I'll be joined in just a few moments by distinguished colleagues from around the country who share my profound concern about legislation that has come to be known as cap-and-trade legislation. It is an effort that is under way here on Capitol Hill and from the Obama administration that could well result in an increase in energy cost for the average American household of more than $3,000 per year." [Pence Floor Remarks, 4/21/09]

Rep. Pence: "We took MIT's estimate of a key cap-and-trade bill from the 110th Congress, cosponsored then by Senator Obama, because the targets of that Senate bill tracked the emission targets outlined in the President's budget. We took MIT's own number, $366 billion, divided that by the number of U.S. households. We assumed about 300 million people and an average household size of 2.56 people, all right? If we use that formula, you get roughly $3,000 per household. Using current census figures, you get $3,128 per household using MIT's own numbers." [Pence Floor Remarks, 4/21/09]

Rep. Pence: "Under the Democratic plan, estimates suggest the average American household could face more than $3,000 a year in higher energy costs, and people in the Midwest, like us in Indiana, will bear the largest burden. Even the President, as candidate, said, 'Under my plan of cap-and-trade, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.' We can only estimate these numbers, Mr. Speaker, because the Democratic plan includes no numbers. The truth is the American people deserve to know what all this is going to cost. The Democrats and the Congress need to come clean about the cost of their cap-and-trade bill, and when they do, this Congress and the American people will reject it." [Pence Floor Remarks, 4/23/09]

Rep. Pitts: "Rather than government cutting back, showing restraint, operating more efficiently on basic government responsibilities, the President proposes to create massive new programs, vastly expanding the scope and reach of the Federal Government. The energy taxes alone will cost every household over 3,000 additional dollars per year.  This budget will cost American jobs at a time when we can't afford it. The majority of those hit by the new tax increases are small businesses, the engines of job creation in our economy. This budget takes us in the wrong direction." [Pitts Floor Remarks, 3/18/09]

Rep. Poe: "Their new tax will cost the average American family over $3,000 in additional taxes each year. If you use energy, you are going to be taxed. That will mean all sources of energy will cost all consumers more money. Electricity costs will go up. Natural gas, gasoline, and even the cost of food and consumer goods will rise. Everything is going to cost a whole lot more, because everything Americans buy is produced using the energy the administration is going to tax." [Poe Floor Remarks, 6/10/09]

Rep. Posey: "Soon we will be asked to vote on a cap-and-trade bill. Here's what I know about it. In the President's budget, it showed new revenue of $646 billion from cap-and-trade. The cap-and-trade plan has been estimated to cost American families as much as $3,000 each per year. The price of everything will go up, from electric bills to gasoline--even food." [Posey Floor Remarks, 5/20/09]

Rep. Rehberg: "Cap-and-tax supporters suggest this money is pulled out of thin air. The truth is that each year under cap-and-tax, every American household will have to come up with an additional $3,100 just to heat the house, run the washing machine or use energy. Most families don't have an extra $3,100 just sitting around. Americans are struggling to make ends meet. I ask my colleagues not to raise taxes on those who can least afford it." [Rehberg Floor Remarks, 5/21/09]

Rep. Scalise: "We've had revised numbers that have gone over $3,000 per American family that they would pay in higher energy taxes if this cap-and-trade energy tax passed." [Scalise Floor Remarks, 4/29/09]

Rep. Scalise: "That entrepreneurial spirit is still out there. But people don't want it taken away by government literally coming in and trying to control all of these areas of our life with this cap-and-trade energy tax which would put a $600 billion tax on the production of energy in the United States, which would equate, by most estimates, to more than $3,000 per American family in higher energy costs. That is part of this budget that we are talking about that spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much." [Scalise Floor Remarks, 3/31/09]

Rep. Scalise: "Over the last few weeks, you've heard a lot of people laying out those details, just what that spending means, just what those taxes mean in terms of the average cost to American families. The middle class families, not just rich people as was purported, but middle class families will be paying over $3,000 on an energy bill." [Scalise Floor Remarks, 3/23/09]

Rep. Sullivan: "This cap-and-tax scheme would cost the average American household in every State up to $3,000 a year, and that's a very conservative estimate. This is really not a good way to stimulate our economy in economic bad times like we are in." [Sullivan Floor Remarks, 3/18/09]

Rep. Tiahrt: "The Heritage Foundation projects the Waxman-Markey impact on America will be a 74 percent increase in gasoline prices, a 90 percent increase in electricity prices, and at least 850,000 jobs lost every year. The energy bill for the average American household will go up over $3,000 per year. That is exactly what the authors want. President Obama recently stated that the only way a cap-and-tax scheme will work is for higher energy costs. They have to 'skyrocket.'" [Tiahrt Floor Remarks, 6/24/09]

Rep. Joe Wilson: "Mr. Speaker, the Democrat leadership continues to push forward with their national energy tax. Despite the financial pain this would place on American families, despite the fact that this cap-and-trade scheme would have little or no impact on the global environment, despite the fact that we can achieve a cleaner energy future without taking more money from hardworking American families, our Democrat colleagues are intent on raising gas prices and home utility costs by more than $3,000 on each family each year." [Rep. Joe Wilson Floor Remarks, 6/8/09]

Rep. Joe Wilson: "Mr. Speaker, it is troubling that with so many other strategies to move our country to a cleaner energy future, there are still some advocating that we impose a national energy tax. This tax will attack the budgets of American families, costing an extra $3,000 each year. And it will drive businesses and the jobs they create overseas." [Rep. Joe Wilson Floor Remarks, 519/09]