Obama/Waxman Fast Track Carbon Tax

+ + +
CLICK TO LISTEN TO GRASSFIRE AUDIO REPORT ON CARBON TAX VOTE
+ + +

+ + +
UPDATE 5/22 -- Committee Passes Cap and Trade Tax, 33-25
Waxman's 934-page Cap and Trade Carbon Tax bill was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee 33-25. Thirty two (of 36) Democrats and one Republican voted in favor of the bill. Four Democrats identified by Grassfire as key targets voted "NO."

Breakdown of the Vote
The Committee does not formally publish the actual Roll Call Vote for the H.R. 2454, but our sources on the Hill confirm the following list of "yea" votes in favor of imposing the cap and trade Carbon Tax:

Democrats Voting YES:

Henry A. Waxman, CA, Chair,
John D. Dingell, MI, Chair Emeritus
Edward J. Markey, MA ,
Rick Boucher, VA
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ
Bart Gordon, TN
Bobby L. Rush, IL
Anna G. Eshoo, CA
Bart Stupak, MI
Eliot L. Engel, NY
Gene Green, TX
Diana DeGette, CO
Lois Capps, CA
Mike Doyle, PA
Jane Harman, CA
Jan Schakowsky, IL
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX
Jay Inslee, WA
Tammy Baldwin, WI
Anthony D. Weiner, NY
G.K. Butterfield, NC
Baron P. Hill, IN
Doris O. Matsui, CA
Donna M. Christensen, VI
Kathy Castor, FL
John P. Sarbanes, MD
Christopher S. Murphy, CT
Zachary T. Space, OH
Jerry McNerney, CA
Betty Sutton, OH
Bruce L. Braley, IA
Peter Welch, VT

Lone Republican Voting "YES"
Mary Bono Mack, CA

These Democrats voted “No”: Charlie Melancon, LA , Mike Ross, AR, Jim Mtheson, UT, John Barrow, GA

Next Steps
Thanks to the efforts of grassroots citizens across the country, the bill leaves the committee weakened. News reports indicate that Democrats in the House are still very divided. One faction, led by Charles Rangel, prefers the direct carbon tax over the cap-and-trade carbon tax. Rangel is threatening to hold the bill up. Collin Peterson (D-MN) heads up another faction of midwestern and
Ag state Democrats who disapprove of the bill. Peterson said after the vote, “They can do whatever they want with this, but I can tell you, there is no way this is going to pass.” Peterson claims he has 40 Democrats who will vote "No" if this is taken to the floor.

Idaho Democrat Walt Minnick, who formerly supported the cap and trade tax, now says the tax “will spawn a big bureaucracy and is susceptive to manipulation and misuse."

The Senate is another significant hurdle.

We expect Waxman's bill to slowly work its way through the House toward a floor vote in late June or early July. So, in our assessment, with the bill limping out of committee grassroots citizens win Round One of this very important battle.

+ + +
UPDATE 5/19 -- 12 Key Democrats
Grassfire has identified 12 key Democrats on the committee who will decide the fate of the cap-and-trade Carbon Tax. Here is the list:
Rep. Michael Ross (AR) 202-225-3772
Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA) 202-225-4031
Rep. G. Butterfield (NC) 202-225-3101
Rep. Zack Space (OH) 202-225-6265
Rep. Michael Doyle (PA) 202-225-2135
Rep. Bart Gordon (TN) 202-225-4231
Rep. Charles Gonzalez (TX) 202-225-3236
Rep. Gene Green (TX) 202-225-1688
Rep. James Matheson (TX) 202-225-3011
Rep. Rick Boucher (VA) 202-225-3861
Rep. Peter Welch (VT) 202-225-4115
Rep. Jay Inslee (WA) 202-225-6311

+ + +
UPDATE 5/19--"Smoking Gun"
Here is the "smoking gun" memo from Obama's OMB that directly criticizes the economic impact of the Carbon Tax as well as the validity of the entire climate alarmism scheme-- Full document here (.pdf), and two key excerpts:

"SERIOUS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES"
"Making the decision to regulate CO2 ... for the first time is likely to have serious economic consequences for regulated entities throughout the U.S. economy, including small businesses and small communities."

"NO DEMONSTRATED HEALTH EFFECTS"
In the absence of a strong statement of the standards being applied in this decision, there is a concern that EPA is making a finding based on (1) "harm" from substances that have no demonstrated direct health effects."

+ + +
UPDATE: Listen to Steve Elliott's interview with G. Gordon Liddy on the Carbon Tax.

+ + +
(Original Post)
All signs indicate that President Obama and Rep. Henry Waxman are pushing for a key vote on the Carbon Tax BEFORE Memorial Day -- a tax that studies show will cost each family $3,100 each and every year.

Last week, Obama met behind closed doors with House Democrats to pressure them to pass the Carbon Tax. Now, Waxman is even contemplating skipping the Subcommittee hearing on the $2 trillion Carbon Cap and Trade Tax (The Waxman-Markey bill; original draft here; summary here) and fast-tracking this new tax straight to his Energy and Commerce Committee.

Waxman wants this all done by the end of next week… and Team Obama is turning up the heat on key Democrats in the House to pressure quick passage of the Carbon Tax.

+ + +Why Obama and Waxman Are Fast-Tracking The CO2 Tax

There’s a reason Obama and Waxman are pulling out the stops to pressure Democrats to pass this tax through the Committee…

Obama, Waxman, Pelosi and the gang fear that any delays
could kill their precious plan to “save the planet” and give
the government the power to tax and control the air!

That’s because even some Democrats are now getting nervous about imposing such a large tax at a time when the economy is struggling. Reports indicate this new tax could cost the average American over $3,000 every year and result in 7 million lost jobs! (Go here to download a .pdf of the MIT report from which the $3,100 estimate is generated.

Here is the pertinent data from pages 24-25 which reports $366 billion it carbon tax revenues. The GOP is using this number, divided by 111 million households, to derive the roughly $3,100 cost per family.)

Dems -- especially the Blue Dog Dems -- are getting very squeamish. Many are particularly annoyed that Waxman is considering skipping the subcommittee hearing in order to rush the bill to the full committee and get his vote by the Memorial Day break. The New York Times reports that Waxman will produce a new version of the bill this week to appease the concerns of moderates.

+ +Americans Oppose this new Tax

Democrats and the White House try to claim that cap and trade is not a tax. But Warren Buffett recently admitted that cap and trade is a "regressive" tax that the utilities will "pass through" to consumers. And even Democrat John Dingell admitted recently that "Cap and Trade is a tax, and a great big one."

How big is this tax? Obama's shows "only" $600 billion for carbon tax revenues -- that alone would be the largest single tax increase in history. But the real, hidden number is closer to $2 trillion over 8 years. And the American people overwhelmingly do NOT want the Carbon Tax (by a 2-to-1 margin according to Pew Research).

+ + +Global “reset” of the economy under way!

If the cap-and-trade scheme passes, it will initiate the most radical restructuring of our economy toward socialism in American history. And don’t be fooled… Al Gore and “Big Environment” will get filthy rich in the process. In fact, as Timothy Carney of the Washington Examiner explains, companies like GE are lining up to profit from the global warming scheme. Carney points out that GE has invested millions in lobbying in favor of carbon tax related schemes. And GE's Chairman Jeffrey Immelt actually sees a global "reset" of capitalism under way:

"I believe we are going through more than a cycle. The global economy, and capitalism, will be “reset” in several important ways. The interaction between government and business will change forever. In a reset economy, the government will be a regulator; and also an industry policy champion, a financier, and a key partner."

Waxman wants to fly under the radar and push the Carbon Tax Scheme before the American people realize what is happening. As a result, the most crucial vote on the Carbon Tax cap-and-trade scheme may be taking place before Memorial Day.

Add a Comment

You need to be a member of Patriotic Resistance to add comments!

Join this social network

Comment by JANI on May 23, 2009 at 4:52pm: Does anyone know if that speed reading scene is available on youtube? It should be sent to everyone in your address book. Tell them they laughed while they were trying to pass a tax that would add $3100. per family, per year on hard working Americans. In the name of "clean air" they are blowing a lot of hot air!

Comment by Kathy Bentley on May 23, 2009 at 1:35pm: I sent emails to Senator Bayh (D) in Indiana, and he's just as deep in this BS as the rest of them. How do we stop this madness? How do we (Americans) take back our country. I too, saw the speed reader debacle. I feel so sad that our votes and voices are being completely ignored. Something has to be done before we're unable to exist in our beloved country.

Comment by Ruth E. Bacon on May 23, 2009 at 12:39pm: Last fall a young man in our city was recruited to go door-to-door campaigning for Obama. He knew nothing about politics except that we needed a change and should vote for Obama for that change. His mind could not be changed by any facts - "But" he plaintively stated, " Obama has promised that 95% of the people will not pay any more taxes." YEAH!! What is the difference whether I pay $100+ a month in IRS taxes or pay $100 a month more on my utility bills? Quite frankly, I cannot afford that either way. I wonder if that young man can.
How can Obama claim to be an American; how can he claim to be a Christian??? The Bible tells us "by their fruits they shall be known." Everything Obama has done so far has been against our country, and against Christian ideals - He must hate both.
Ruth from Montana

Comment by mike on May 23, 2009 at 11:04am: THEY THINK WE ARE STUPID / A SLEEP BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN!
I personally think the people in the CONGRESS / WHITE HOUSE think the public is stupid and a sleep,and don't forget last summer when H. REID said we stink, they could smell us walking through the capitol bldg.
Here is some of the reasons they think that :One they give themselves raises without any outrage, they have better fringe benefits than any other humans on the planet and we pay for it without complaint...I mean where can you get a job that you set your own hours/wages/raises... and to top that off get 90% of your salary plus health insurance taken care of and paid for by someone else when you retire.
Who holds them responsible not the press and not the public.The TV media is in bed with them and helps them carry out their ANTI AMERICAN strategy.
When they hire a speed reader to mock the public for saying they do not read any bills before they vote on them, there was not any outrage from the media or the public , even FOX NEWS only laughed about it .What we should have been doing is demanding" RESIGNATIONS"...If we don't start telling these crooks what they are going to do and stop acting like servants to the elite we deserve everything that happens to us.
The number one best place to start reigning these crooks in is take away their power by setting limits on the following : TERMS IN OFFICE / NO RETIREMENT FOR NEW OR CURRRENT OR RETIRED CONGRESS PEOPLE / NO HEALTH INSURANCE ,(THEY CAN GET IT THE SAME WAY WE DO PAY FOR IT!) / CUT SALARIES BACK TO THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME LEVEL IN THE COUNTRY / NO RAISES UNLESS THE VOTERS PASS IT BY VOTE / NO ELECTION WAR CHEST( what money they do raise should be taxable income to them / ABSOLUTELY NO CONTACT WITH LOBBYIST UNLESS THEY REPRESENT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND EVEN THIS SHOULD BE LIMITED / NO SUPREME COURT APPOINTEES ( THEY SHOULD BE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE ).
Once we have restructured their status they will listen too us...until then don't hold your breath!

Comment by Dominick Farruggio on May 23, 2009 at 12:29am: It's time we start prosecuting these people and this can be done through the American Grand Jury.
All you have to do is sign up by going to the website: http://www.americangrandjury.org, and once you signe up ou will be assigned to a grand jury and from there procedures can start.

Talking about what they are doing isn't going to change anything, they just ignore us and do what they dam please, so it's time we take the bull by the horns and put a stop to this craziness. Waiting for the 4th of JUly to express our anger in Washington would be moot, since they will have gone on vacation. We have to march into Washngton with over a million propsters tie up traffic lock them in their chambers and leave them there until they listen to us. That is the only way to get their attention when we put the fear og God in them.

Comment by Pamela Pearson on May 22, 2009 at 11:47pm: I was utterly infuriated when I watched the speed reader reading this bill in front of the committee. Everyone including the speed reader laughed as he was careening through this bill without anyone being able to understand a word he was saying, AND THEY LAUGHED. This is what they do in response to our complaints about no one reading the stimulus bill. They mock us and then, as if it's a sitcom, pull this prank. The legislators in that room, no matter how they voted, should not be allowed to complete their terms. They should be ousted by the end of the weekend. They have NO respect for their constituents if they sat there while this hoax went on.

Comment by JANI on May 22, 2009 at 9:42pm: I called the lone Republican who voted yes on this travesty, Mary Bono. I told her aide that CA is in shambles and she thinks adding $3100 per family per year is ok? I also stated I will vote her out next chance I get!
We need to call each of our reps, warn them, and if they vote yes, vote them out of town!

Comment by Gwendolyn DeKoning on May 22, 2009 at 9:29pm: Business as usual in DC. Get off your buns and vote these cretens out of office as soon as possible.

Comment by Ronnie Davis on May 22, 2009 at 8:40pm: Vote the Democrat's out & 2010& 2012,and "STOP" this MADNESS. Obama and the Democrat's need to go. Right now is not quick enough. Ronnie Davis. Taylorsville,MS. THANK YOU, for this information. TAKE CARE!

Comment by Patty Carroll on May 22, 2009 at 8:39pm: Thank you for all the information you send us. I sent my own faxes to every one in NC from the list you provided. Of course, Butterfield did not listen. I will continue to do what I can, it only takes munutes a day. If all Americans who want to keep their freedom & liberty would take just those couple of minutes a day, imagine how quickly we could bring America back to its heritage. God Bless America.