Grover Norquist Plus 503 Others Urge Senators Boxer and Kerry Not to Introduce Energy Tax

Click here for the PDF version of this letter.

 28 September 2009

Chairman Barbara Boxer
Committee on Environment and Public Works
410 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510-6175   

Senator John Kerry
218 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Second Floor
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman Boxer & Senator Kerry

On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) representing millions of American taxpayers and the 503 lawmakers, businesses and citizen organizations attached, I urge you not to introduce a national energy tax bill (cap-and-trade) that will increase energy costs and cripple our economy.

In addition to raising the cost of energy thousands of dollars each year on every American family, this legislation will crush our economy. By 2035, “durable manufacturing employment” will have lost 1.17 million jobs. “Nondurable manufacturing” will lose almost 210,000 jobs by 2035. Combined, manufacturing unemployment is expected to reach a high of 1.38 million lost jobs in 2035.

Other industries will experience equally devastating job losses: fabricated-metal industry will lose more than 216,000 jobs by 2035; machinery industry will lose 263,000 jobs by 2035; plastic & rubber production jobs lose 80,000 below business-as-usual in 2035. Retail-trade unemployment will lose 78,000 per year, while wholesale trade industries lose 191,000 on average each year.

The trade, transportation, and utilities sector will shed 1.1 million jobs by 2035 and 441,000 for the yearly average. Transportation and warehousing employment will see an average yearly loss of 175,000 jobs all because of a cap-and-trade proposal.

Your national energy tax could cost 2,500,000 American jobs by 2035!

Despite the staggering job losses, the increased energy costs and fees that this legislation will place on every American family are equivalent to a 15 percent hike in personal income taxes. Even the U.S. Treasury Department admits this bill could cost between $100-200 billion per year!

Americans for Tax Reform is not alone in our constant opposition to this bill. The attached 121 state legislators representing 39 states, 212 U.S. House Members, and 170 national and state business, agricultural and citizen groups continue to oppose this bill.

Chairman Boxer and Senator Kerry, I urge you to consider the drastic negative effect this legislation will have on the economy and NOT introduce a national energy tax in the U.S. Senate. 

For more information, please contact federal affairs manager Brian Johnson in my office at bjohnson@atr.org or 202-785-0266.

Onward,
 
Grover G. Norquist
cc: All U.S. Senators

121 State Legislators from 39 States, 212 U.S. House Members & 170 National and State Business/Ag/Citizen Groups Opposed to “Cap-and-Trade”

State Legislators
Alabama State Representative Greg Wren
Alabama State Senator Steve French
Arizona State Representative Cecil Ash
Arizona State Representative Debbie Lesko
Arizona State Representative John McComish
Arizona State Representative Nancy Barto
Arizona State Senate Majority Whip Pamela Gorman
Arizona State Senator Jack Harper
Arizona State Senator John Nelson
Arizona State Senator Ron Gould
Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce
Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen
Arkansas State Senator Johnny Key
Colorado State Senator Scott Renfroe
Connecticut Center-Right Coalition, D. Dowd Muska
Connecticut State Representative Bill Hamzy
Connecticut State Representative John Piscopo
Florida State Representative Alan Hays, DMD
Florida State Representative Sandra Adams
Georgia State Representative Ed Setzler
Georgia State Representative Melvin Everson
Georgia State Representative Randy Nix
Georgia State Representative Tom Rice
Georgia State Representative Wendell Willard
Georgia State Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers
Georgia State Senator Chip Rogers
Hawaii State Senator Sam Slom
Illinois State Representative Dave Winters
Indiana State Representative Cindy Noe
Indiana State Representative Eric Koch
Indiana State Representative Jeff Thompson
Indiana State Representative William Ruppel
Indiana State Senator Brandt Hershman
Kansas State  Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook
Kansas State Representative Don Meyers
Kansas State Representative Marc Rhoades
Kansas State Representative Sharon Schwartz
Kansas State Senator Tim Huelskamp
Kentucky State Representative Mike Harmon
Louisiana Republican National Committeeman, W. Ross Little, Jr.
Louisiana State Representative Nickie Monica
Louisiana State Representative Scott Simon
Maryland State Delegate Nic Kipke
Maryland State Representative Richard Sossi
Maryland State Delegate Gail Bates
Minnesota State Senator Mike Jungbauer
Mississippi State Representative Becky Currie
Missouri State Representative Bob Nance
Missouri State Representative Cynthia Davis
Missouri State Representative Dwight Scharnhost
Missouri State Representative Shane Schoeller
Missouri State Representative Stanley Cox
Missouri State Representative Tim Flook
Missouri State Representative Walter Bivins
Missouri State Senator Jim Lembke
Montana State Representative Bob Lake
Montana State Representative Cary Smith
Montana State Representative Chas Vincent
Montana State Representative Gary MacLaren
Montana State Representative Mike Miller
Nebraska State Treasurer Shane Osborn
New Hampshire State Representative Betsey McKinney
New Hampshire State Representative Beverly Rodeschin
New Hampshire State Representative Jennifer Coffey
New Hampshire State Representative John Reagan
New Jersey State Assemblyman Michael J. Doherty
New Mexico Former State Representative Frank Bird
New Mexico Former State Representative Justine Fox-Young
New Mexico Former State Representative, Sen. & Lieutenant Governor Jack Stahl
New Mexico Former State Senator Mickey D. Barnett
New Mexico Republican Party, John E. Rockwell
New Mexico State Senator Steve Neville
New Mexico, Bernalillo County Sheriff, Darren P. White
New York Assemblyman Greg Ball
North Carolina Deputy Republican Senate Leader Neal Hunt
North Carolina State Representative George Cleveland
North Carolina State Representative Mitch Gillespie
North Carolina State Representative Pat McElraft
North Dakota State Representative Chuck Damschen
North Dakota State Representative Ken Svedjan
Ohio State House Assistant Minority Whip Sean Chichelli,
Ohio State House Minority Whip John Adamns,
Ohio State Senator Bob Gibbs
Ohio State Senator Kevin Coughlin
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc., Brandon Dutcher
Oklahoma State Representative Colby Schwartz
Oklahoma State Representative Leslie Osborn
Oklahoma State Representative Mike Sanders
Oregon State Representative  Matt Wingard
Oregon State Representative George Gilman
Oregon State Representative John Huffman
Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl Metcalfe
Pennsylvania State Representative Jeff Pyle
Pennsylvania State Representative Kathy Rapp
Pennsylvania State Representative Matthew Baker
South Carolina State Senator David Thomas
South Dakota State Representative Val Rausch
Tennessee State Representative Ben West, Jr.
Tennessee State Representative Susan Lynn
Texas State Representative Joe Driver
Utah State Representative Bradley Daw
Utah State Representative Lorie Fowlke
Utah State Senator Ralph Okerlund
Virginia House of Delegates Member Kathy Byron
Washington State Minority Whip Bill Hinkle
Washington State Representative Jan Angel
Washington State Representative Shelly Short
Washington State Senator Val Stevens
West Virginia House of Delegates Member Troy Andes
West Virginia State Delegate Jonathan Miller
West Virginia State Delegate Ronald Walters, Sr.
West Virginia State Representative Troy Andes
Wisconsin State Representative John Nygren
Wisconsin State Representative Leah Vukmir
Wisconsin State Representative Mike Huebsch
Wisconsin State Representative Robin Vos
Wyoming State Representative Allen Jaggi
Wyoming State Representative Amy Edmonds
Wyoming State Representative David Miller
Wyoming State Representative Peter S. “Pete” Illoway
Wyoming State Representative Sue Wallis

National & State Citizen/Business/Trade Organizations
Alabama Policy Institute
Alliance for Worker Freedom
American Civil Rights Union
American Conservative Union
American Council for Health Care Reform
American Energy Alliance
American Highway Users Alliance
American Meat Association
American Principles in Action
American Shareholders Association
American Solutions
Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for the Preservation of Liberty
Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions
Caesar Rodney Institute
Center for Fiscal Accountability
Center for Individual Freedom
Center Right Coalition of Central Florida
Charles W. Baird, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Emeritus, CSU East Bay
Citizen Outreach Project
Citizens for Limited Taxation (MA)
Citizens for Responsible Government
Citizens United
Clean Oceans Technology Coalition
Club for Growth
College Republican National Committee
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Congress of Racial Equality
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Eagle Forum
Ethan Allen Institute
Evergreen Freedom Foundation
Florida Center-Right Coalition, Rick Watson
FRCAction
FreedomWorks
Frontiers of Freedom
Georgia Eagle Forum
Grassroots Institute of Hawaii
Hawaiian Values
Hispanic Alliance for Progress
Hispanic Leadership Fund
Illinois Policy Institute
Independence Institute
Indiana Eagle Forum
Institute for Liberty
IPAA
Let Freedom Ring
Louisiana Family Forum
Maryland Center-Right Coalition, Richard Falknor
Michigan Eagle Forum
Minnesota Eagle Forum
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Montanans for Tax Reform
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Manufacturers 
National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Center for Public Policy Research
National Federation of Independent Businesses
National Tax Limitation Committee
National Taxpayers Union
National Wholesale Distributors
Nevada Eagle Forum
New Jersey Seed
New Mexico Shooting Sports Association
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Partnership for America’s Energy Security
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Pennsylvania Eagle Forum
Project 21
Property Rights Alliance
Property Rights Association of Minnesota
Quantum Communications
RightMarch.com
Samuel Properties, Ltd.
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
Smart Business Hawaii
Society of American Florists
Talbott Advisors, Inc.
Taxpayer Association of Oregon
Tennessee Eagle Forum
Tennessee Tax Revolt, Inc.
Texas Eagle Forum
The Harbour League
The Rule of Law Committee
US Chamber of Commerce
Western Business Roundtable
Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce
Wyoming Liberty Group

Other Groups Listed as Not Supporting
American Farmers & Ranchers
AmeriFlax
Corn Producers Association of Texas
Missouri Farm Bureau
National Corn Growers Association
National Chicken Council
Nation Turkey Federation
North Dakota Grain Growers Association
North Dakota Farm Bureau
North Dakota Grain Dealers Association
North Dakota Stockmen’s Association
North Dakota Soybean Growers Association
Northern Canola Growers ASSWOCAITON
Northern Pulse Growers Association
North Dakota Wheat Commission
North Dakota Barley Council
Nebraska Farm Bureau
New Mexico Peanut Growers Association
North Carolina Peanut Growers Association
Panhandle Peanut Growers Association
Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Association
Ohio Corn Growers Association
Ohio Wheat Growers Association
Ohio Poultry Association
Ohio Farm Bureau
Oklahoma Peanut Commission
South Carolina Peanut Growers Association
South Dakota Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Peanut Producers Board
Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers Association
United Egg Producers
Virginia Peanut Growers Association
Western Peanut Growers Association

House Members Who Voted “NO” on H.R. 2454
Aderholt, Robert [R]    AL-4
Akin, W. [R]    MO-2
Alexander, Rodney [R]    LA-5
Altmire, Jason [D]    PA-4
Arcuri, Michael [D]    NY-24
Austria, Steve [R]    OH-7
Bachmann, Michele [R]    MN-6
Bachus, Spencer [R]    AL-6
Barrett, James [R]    SC-3
Barrow, John [D]    GA-12
Bartlett, Roscoe [R]    MD-6
Barton, Joe [R]    TX-6
Berry, Robert [D]    AR-1
Biggert, Judy [R]    IL-13
Bilbray, Brian [R]    CA-50
Bilirakis, Gus [R]    FL-9
Bishop, Rob [R]    UT-1
Blackburn, Marsha [R]    TN-7
Blunt, Roy [R]    MO-7
Boehner, John [R]    OH-8
Bonner, Jo [R]    AL-1
Boozman, John [R]    AR-3
Boren, Dan [D]    OK-2
Boustany, Charles [R]    LA-7
Brady, Kevin [R]    TX-8
Bright, Bobby [D]    AL-2
Broun, Paul [R]    GA-10
Brown, Henry [R]    SC-1
Brown-Waite, Virginia [R]    FL-5
Buchanan, Vern [R]    FL-13
Burgess, Michael [R]    TX-26
Burton, Dan [R]    IN-5
Buyer, Stephen [R]    IN-4
Calvert, Ken [R]    CA-44
Camp, David [R]    MI-4
Campbell, John [R]    CA-48
Cantor, Eric [R]    VA-7
Cao, Anh [R]    LA-2
Capito, Shelley [R]    WV-2
Carney, Christopher [D]    PA-10
Carter, John [R]    TX-31
Cassidy, Bill [R]    LA-6
Chaffetz, Jason [R]    UT-3
Childers, Travis [D]    MS-1
Coble, Howard [R]    NC-6
Coffman, Mike [R]    CO-6
Cole, Tom [R]    OK-4
Conaway, K. [R]    TX-11
Costa, Jim [D]    CA-20
Costello, Jerry [D]    IL-12
Crenshaw, Ander [R]    FL-4
Culberson, John [R]    TX-7
Dahlkemper, Kathleen [D]    PA-3
Davis, Artur [D]    AL-7
Davis, Geoff [R]    KY-4
Davis, Lincoln [D]    TN-4
Deal, Nathan [R]    GA-9
DeFazio, Peter [D]    OR-4
Dent, Charles [R]    PA-15
Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [R]    FL-21
Diaz-Balart, Mario [R]    FL-25
Donnelly, Joe [D]    IN-2
Dreier, David [R]    CA-26
Duncan, John [R]    TN-2
Edwards, Thomas [D]    TX-17
Ehlers, Vernon [R]    MI-3
Ellsworth, Brad [D]    IN-8
Emerson, Jo Ann [R]    MO-8
Fallin, Mary [R]    OK-5
Fleming, John [R]    LA-4
Forbes, James [R]    VA-4
Fortenberry, Jeffrey [R]    NE-1
Foster, Bill [D]    IL-14
Foxx, Virginia [R]    NC-5
Franks, Trent [R]    AZ-2
Frelinghuysen, Rodney [R]    NJ-11
Gallegly, Elton [R]    CA-24
Garrett, Scott [R]    NJ-5
Gerlach, Jim [R]    PA-6
Gingrey, John [R]    GA-11
Gohmert, Louis [R]    TX-1
Goodlatte, Robert [R]    VA-6
Granger, Kay [R]    TX-12
Graves, Samuel [R]    MO-6
Griffith, Parker [D]    AL-5
Guthrie, Brett [R]    KY-2
Hall, Ralph [R]    TX-4
Harper, Gregg [R]    MS-3
Hastings, Doc [R]    WA-4
Heller, Dean [R]    NV-2
Hensarling, Jeb [R]    TX-5
Herger, Walter [R]    CA-2
Herseth, Stephanie [D]    SD-0
Hoekstra, Peter [R]    MI-2
Holden, Tim [D]    PA-17
Hunter, Duncan [R]    CA-52
Inglis, Bob [R]    SC-4
Issa, Darrell [R]    CA-49
Jenkins, Lynn [R]    KS-2
Johnson, Samuel [R]    TX-3
Johnson, Timothy [R]    IL-15
Jones, Walter [R]    NC-3
Jordan, Jim [R]    OH-4
King, Peter [R]    NY-3
King, Steve [R]    IA-5
Kingston, Jack [R]    GA-1
Kirkpatrick, Ann [D]    AZ-1
Kissell, Larry [D]    NC-8
Kline, John [R]    MN-2
Kucinich, Dennis [D]    OH-10
Lamborn, Doug [R]    CO-5
Latham, Thomas [R]    IA-4
LaTourette, Steven [R]    OH-14
Latta, Robert [R]    OH-5
Lee, Christopher [R]    NY-26
Lewis, Jerry [R]    CA-41
Linder, John [R]    GA-7
Lucas, Frank [R]    OK-3
Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R]    MO-9
Lummis, Cynthia [R]    WY-0
Lungren, Daniel [R]    CA-3
Mack, Connie [R]    FL-14
Manzullo, Donald [R]    IL-16
Marchant, Kenny [R]    TX-24
Marshall, James [D]    GA-8
Massa, Eric [D]    NY-29
Matheson, Jim [D]    UT-2
McCarthy, Kevin [R]    CA-22
McCaul, Michael [R]    TX-10
McClintock, Tom [R]    CA-4
McCotter, Thaddeus [R]    MI-11
Mchenry, Patrick [R]    NC-10
McIntyre, Mike [D]    NC-7
McKeon, Howard [R]    CA-25
Rodgers, Cathy [R]    WA-5
Melancon, Charles [D]    LA-3
Mica, John [R]    FL-7
Miller, Candice [R]    MI-10
Miller, Gary [R]    CA-42
Miller, Jeff [R]    FL-1
Minnick, Walter [D]    ID-1
Mitchell, Harry [D]    AZ-5
Mollohan, Alan [D]    WV-1
Moran, Jerry [R]    KS-1
Murphy, Tim [R]    PA-18
Myrick, Sue [R]    NC-9
Neugebauer, Randy [R]    TX-19
Nunes, Devin [R]    CA-21
Nye, Glenn [D]    VA-2
Olson, Pete [R]    TX-22
Ortiz, Solomon [D]    TX-27
Paul, Ronald [R]    TX-14
Paulsen, Erik [R]    MN-3
Pence, Mike [R]    IN-6
Petri, Thomas [R]    WI-6
Pitts, Joseph [R]    PA-16
Platts, Todd [R]    PA-19
Poe, Ted [R]    TX-2
Pomeroy, Earl [D]    ND-0
Posey, Bill [R]    FL-15
Price, Tom [R]    GA-6
Putnam, Adam [R]    FL-12
Radanovich, George [R]    CA-19
Rahall, Nick [D]    WV-3
Rehberg, Dennis [R]    MT-0
Rodriguez, Ciro [D]    TX-23
Roe, Phil [R]    TN-1
Rogers, Harold [R]    KY-5
Rogers, Michael [R]    AL-3
Rogers, Michael [R]    MI-8
Rohrabacher, Dana [R]    CA-46
Rooney, Thomas [R]    FL-16
Roskam, Peter [R]    IL-6
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R]    FL-18
Ross, Mike [D]    AR-4
Royce, Edward [R]    CA-40
Ryan, Paul [R]    WI-1
Salazar, John [D]    CO-3
Scalise, Steve [R]    LA-1
Schmidt, Jean [R]    OH-2
Schock, Aaron [R]    IL-18
Sensenbrenner, F. [R]    WI-5
Sessions, Peter [R]    TX-32
Shadegg, John [R]    AZ-3
Shimkus, John [R]    IL-19
Shuster, William [R]    PA-9
Simpson, Michael [R]    ID-2
Smith, Adrian [R]    NE-3
Smith, Lamar [R]    TX-21
Souder, Mark [R]    IN-3
Stark, Fortney [D]    CA-13
Stearns, Clifford [R]    FL-6
Tanner, John [D]    TN-8
Taylor, Gene [D]    MS-4
Terry, Lee [R]    NE-2
Thompson, Glenn [R]    PA-5
Thornberry, William [R]    TX-13
Tiahrt, Todd [R]    KS-4
Tiberi, Patrick [R]    OH-12
Turner, Michael [R]    OH-3
Upton, Frederick [R]    MI-6
Visclosky, Peter [D]    IN-1
Walden, Greg [R]    OR-2
Wamp, Zach [R]    TN-3
Westmoreland, Lynn [R]    GA-3
Whitfield, Edward [R]    KY-1
Wilson, Addison [R]    SC-2
Wilson, Charles [D]    OH-6
Wittman, Rob [R]    VA-1
Wolf, Frank [R]    VA-10
Young, C. W. [R]    FL-10
Young, Donald [R]    AK-0

 

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