FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    CONTACT: John Kartch
22 SEPTEMBER 2009
202-785-0266

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Energy Secretary Steven Chu Out of Touch with American Families 
Administration wants to force public to accept a national energy tax no matter what

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) President Grover Norquist commented on a recent statement by Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu who claims that Americans need to be forced to understand why a national energy tax is necessary.

In a statement made to the Wall Street Journal, Secretary Chu said:

“The American public...just like your teenage kids, aren’t acting in a way that they should act,” Dr. Chu said. “The American public has to really understand in their core how important this issue is.”

This statement comes just days after CBS reported that previously secret documents show that the Administration knew the cap-and-trade bill will cost American families at least $200 billion per year according to reports from the Treasury Department. However, the Department still kept some numbers redacted from the documents obtained with a FOIA request.

“The sequence of events here would be comical if we weren’t talking about a major national tax increase,” said Grover Norquist, President of ATR. “First Obama knew this would raise taxes and he said nothing, thus breaking his ‘no taxes on those making less than 250k’ pledge. Now, the Energy Secretary is insulting every American taxpaying voter.”

A recent Rasmussen Poll indicates that 42 percent of the American public thinks the climate bill will hurt the economy, while 15 percent say it will have no impact and 24 percent are not sure. “I guess next Chu will want to put 42 percent of American voters in ‘time-out’ as they clearly are not acting in ‘a way they should act’ according to him,” added Norquist. “I wonder who Obama will appoint as his ‘National Punishment Czar?”

National Press & Talk Radio Alert:
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