Today, Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) commended Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Kit Bond (R-MO) for their efforts highlighting the massive tax increases in the House passed Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade legislation.

The Senators released a report titled Climate Change Legislation: A $3.6 Trillion Gas Tax, which illustrates the negative impact this legislation will have on the energy sector in the United States if the U.S. Senate passes similar legislation.

Norquist sent a letter to the Senators thanking them for their efforts (PDF version) and issued a press release citing key finding (PDF version)

The report notes, “the Waxman-Markey climate legislation will impose a $3.6 trillion total gas tax that includes a:

• $2.0 trillion gasoline tax on American drivers, workers and businesses
• $1.3 trillion diesel fuel tax on American truckers, farmers, workers and businesses
• $330 billion jet fuel tax on American air passengers

In a letter to the two Senators today, Grover Norquist applauded their efforts.

Most Americans have no idea what ‘cap-and-trade’ is, said Norquist. But when the President promises he won’t tax people making less than $250,000 and then supports a $3.6 trillion gas tax, out come the pitchforks and torches. People understand that raising taxes on gasoline makes every day activities more expensive; raising taxes on diesel makes groceries and all goods more pricey; and that raising taxes on jet fuel makes the difference between taking the kids to Grandma’s for Christmas or not. This is real and the voters will remember this.