WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) issued the following statement to mark the one year anniversary since the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 910, the Energy Tax Prevention Act.
“It has been a year since the House passed the Energy Tax Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation to protect Americans from costly regulations that act like a tax on energy, driving up costs for families and businesses. With gasoline and electricity prices on the rise and layers of new red tape being added all the time, we need relief now more than ever. Gasoline prices are already hitting $4 per gallon, and electricity prices are projected to increase significantly in many regions of the country. The last thing families need is a regulatory agenda that makes it more expensive to drive to work or heat and cool their homes. This administration’s greenhouse gas regulations will destroy jobs and guarantee Americans will be paying higher energy prices.
“Despite his “˜all of the above’ rhetoric, President Obama’s actions are creating an energy policy that excludes one of our most abundant, reliable, and affordable source of electricity. Last week President Obama’s EPA launched its latest assault in its war on affordable energy by proposing new greenhouse gas standards for power plants -a rule that will effectively ban any new coal-fired power plants in this country and could threaten existing coal-fired generation. Congress said no to cap-and-trade, but EPA is still moving full speed ahead with its aggressive climate change agenda. The president is setting energy policy through his costly environmental policies.
“The House approved H.R. 910 to protect jobs and stand up for American families and businesses struggling with high energy costs. One year later, this legislation is as important as ever to send a message to the president that says Americans want relief, not higher taxes."
