The Carbon Tax Is Back On The Docket In Congress, But Secretly!!! See What Senator David Vittner Has To Say About It;

Dear Friend,
Right now in Washington, talk of raising taxes – including by finding “revenues” in creative ways – to avoid driving off the fiscal cliff is at a fever pitch.

But there’s one tax that is purposefully not being discussed openly — a carbon tax. A carbon tax is essentially a tax on carbon emissions (remember “cap-and-trade”), and it would increase the cost of manufactured goods as well as harm America’s manufacturing sector.

But just because they aren’t talking about it openly doesn’t mean that the Obama administration and their allies aren’t actively working toward this goal. There’s a lot of evidence to show that there’s been a lot of discussion toward this ultimate end, including within the Treasury Department.

That’s why I was deeply concerned to learn that Treasury is actively trying to hide their involvement. A conservative public policy organization has specifically requested that Treasury disclose all their emails regarding carbon regulation and carbon tax issues.

Treasury actually acknowledges that office sent or received at least 7,300 emails this year alone discussing “carbon.” But it’s stonewalling the release of those emails. Treasury is also outright refusing to provide any economic analysis for a carbon tax.

Last week I wrote an editorial in Roll Call to shine light on Treasury’s lack of transparency about the issue. Treasury knows who a carbon tax would hurt the most — the lower-income, often-single-parent homes suffering most in our weak economy. Earlier this month, the Congressional Budget Office released a study that noted at the outset that a carbon tax would “impose a larger burden, relative to income, on low-income households than on high-income households.”

In Case You Missed It: Vitter: Carbon Tax Discussions Should Be Done Openly (Roll Call)

I believe Congress must assert its constitutional responsibility in this important matter. If President Barack Obama and his administration are considering a carbon tax, a revised cap and trade plan, or anything similar, then they must work through Congress to achieve it. And I’m confident we can block this financially devastating, dangerous proposal.

I am interested in hearing your thoughts on these issues and the other issues most important to you. Please contact me with your ideas at any of my state offices or in my Washington office. You can also reach me online at http://vitter.senate.gov .

Sincerely,

David Vitter
United States Senator

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