Markey Challenges 47 House Republicans Who Won’t Worry About Wind Jobs

47 GOP Members Push to Raise Taxes on Wind Industry, End 40,000 American Jobs; Markey Asks them to Support Ending Tax Breaks, Loan Guarantees for Oil, Nuclear and Coal Sectors

WASHINGTON (October 3, 2012) – Following the sentiment of their GOP standard bearer to not worry about certain segments of America -- and with eerie numerical symmetry -- 47 House Republicans last week wrote to Speaker John Boehner to oppose the extension of the Production Tax Credit for wind energy. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today responded to all 47 members of the worry-free Republican caucus and asked them to join him in opposing the extension of billions of dollars in tax subsidies and loan guarantees for the oil, coal and nuclear sectors.

“We already know that Mitt Romney doesn’t think it’s his job to worry about 47 percent of Americans, and now we know 47 House Republicans don’t think it’s their job to worry about the 40,000 American wind workers who will lose their jobs from this tax hike on wind energy,” said Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee. “If these 47 members of the Republican worry-free caucus really want to end energy subsidies, then they should also support the elimination of billions of dollars in tax subsidies and loans to oil, coal, and nuclear companies.”

The letter from Rep. Markey to Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and the 46 House Republicans who joined him can be found HERE.