Washington, D.C.,
May 13 -
Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, along with Congressman Bob Inglis of South Carolina and Congressman Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, today sponsored legislation (H.R. 2380) that will impose a tax on carbon while providing corresponding payroll tax relief.
“If there’s one economic axiom, it’s that if you want less of something, you tax it,” said Flake. “Clearly, it’s in our interest to move away from carbon. But if we’re going to take the step of taxing carbon, that needs come with commensurate tax relief.”
“This legislation forces us to have an honest debate about protecting the environment, rather than simply raising more revenue for the federal government. Further, we shouldn't put ourselves in the position to decide what industries, whether it be nuclear or wind or solar, come out on top. Let's face it, government just isn't very good at making these choices.”
“You can be agnostic on the question of global warming and still recognize that, as a country, we need to move away from carbon. Republicans have articulately made the case that the U.S. needs to become energy independent, but the truth is that as long as we rely so heavily on fossil fuels, it's going to be awfully tough to get there from here.”
