by Danny Richter (Citizen’s Climate Lobby) … First, Florida Republican Rep. Francis Rooney has introduced the bipartisan Stemming Warming and Augmenting Pay (SWAP) Act with cosponsor Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL). Together, these two representatives have also introduced the Raise Wages, Cut Carbon Act. Citizens’ Climate Lobby is pleased to see the introduction of these bipartisan bills that would achieve significant reductions in CO2 emissions. The bills indicate that Republicans and Democrats are beginning to agree that a price on carbon is the most efficient way to reduce America’s emissions quickly, a position long held by economists.
…
Both Rep. Rooney and Lipinski have been leaders in the effort to enact a robust price on CO2 emissions as original cosponsors of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763), as has Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL). Rep. Deutch, the lead sponsor of the Energy Innovation Act, has been a passionate and effective voice on this issue in the halls of Congress and in the media.
These carbon pricing bills also bring important new ideas into the policy discussion. The SWAP Act would use the revenue to reduce payroll taxes, help low-income households with energy costs, and fund low-carbon energy R&D. The Raise Wages, Cut Carbon Act would use revenue in similar ways. These ideas will feed a richer national discussion on the best way to price carbon. Like the Energy Innovation Act, which returns 100% of revenue to U.S. households, these bills would drive down America’s emissions.
Another development today is that Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) has introduced the Climate Action Rebate Act of 2019 in the Senate, with Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introducing a companion bill in the House.
…
The essential question should not be who supports a particular policy proposal, but rather how effective will that proposal be at reducing emissions. READ MORE
“Disappearing” Carbon Tax for Non-Renewable Fuels (Advanced Biofuels USA)
CAN’T GET ENOUGH CARBON TAX PLANS? (Politico’s Morning Energy)
Senate Dems Ask Conservatives for Help in Messaging Climate (Our Daily Planet)
Excerpt from Politico’s Morning Energy: CAN’T GET ENOUGH CARBON TAX PLANS? In case you missed it, Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) unveiled his own carbon tax proposal Thursday, co-sponsored by Rooney. The Raise Wages, Cut Carbon Act of 2019 would impose a $40 per ton carbon fee starting in 2020, increasing by 2.5 percent, plus inflation, per year. Revenue from the tax would be divvied up between the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Weatherization Assistance Program and Social Security beneficiaries, with the remaining 84 percent going toward offsetting payroll taxes. READ MORE
