House Members React to Energy Tax by Unifying Behind Reliable Energy
Here is another article I wrote for American Solutions about the recent formation of the “Congressional Coal Caucus.” Take a look:
******
This past week, a bipartisan Congressional caucus consisting of three Republicans and three Democrats formed around the often-contentious issue of coal. This “Congressional Coal Caucus” has pledged to be a voice in Congress for the many coal-producing and coal-reliant communities located across the country.
The formation of this Congressional Caucus sends powerful signals to the energy industry and fellow members of Congress; it shows that various Congressional members from both sides of the aisle are determined to ensure that coal continues to play an important role in supplying our energy needs.
It also serves as a signal to President Obama, who has stated that he wants to bankrupt the coal industry, that energy policy must include positive incentives to use one of the most affordable and abundant sources of energy in the United States.
This bipartisan caucus has the potential to greatly influence the energy debate since the current cap-and-trade bill, H.R. 2454, barely passed the House in June. While all six of the founding members of the caucus voted against the bill’s passage, many fellow congressmen from coal-reliant states voted for it.
If the Congressional Coal Caucus is able to recruit enough members who originally supported H.R. 2454, they may be able to form a coalition to stop its final passage as well as other energy bills that would impose higher energy costs for all American taxpayers.
Coal provides Americans with affordable and reliable energy, in addition to many other resources such as oil, gas, and nuclear. In addition, coal supports over 130,000 jobs in the United States. With the U.S. harboring roughly a quarter of the known coal reserves in the world and some estimates showing that this supply should last for over two centuries, we have the resources in America to make help make us energy independent while also continuing to provide needed jobs for Americans.
The good news is that it is highly unlikely that the Senate will pass an exact version of H.R. 2454 or any cap and trade bill this year, so the House will have another chance to vote on the future energy policy of our nation.
Whether or not the outcome of that vote is friendly to reliable American energy, however, will depend on how actively American Solutions members are pressuring their elected leaders to vote against devastating energy taxes. It may also largely depend on how many members have joined this particular caucus.
If you live in a coal-dependent community or just support coal as a continued source of energy, call your member of Congress and ask if he or she has joined (or plans to join) the Congressional Coal Caucus.
