Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:45 pm
Even though the GOP claim that President Obama’s cap and trade program will result in a $3,100 tax on families has been proven to be a lie, Fox News and 11 Congressional Republicans have continued to advance this untruth, and some have even gone as far as to increase the amount of the tax to $4,500.
Here is the video courtesy of Think Progress:
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Sen. John Thune (R-SD) spreads the myth that the M.I.T. study concludes that the Obama cap and trade plan would cost American families $3,100 a year. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) said that climate change legislation is really about tax policy, “If you have a light switch in your home and you hit that light switch, you will be impacted by climate change legislation.” Once again, the problem is that this is a lie, which once again today was refuted by one of the authors of the M.I.T. study, John Reilly.
In a letter to congressional Republicans, Reilly said, It has come to my attention that an analysis we conducted examining proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Report No., 146, Assessment of U.S. Cap-and-Trade Proposals, has been misrepresented in recent press releases distributed by the National Republican Congressional Committee. The press release claims our report estimates an average cost per family of a carbon cap and trade program that would meet targets now being discussed in Congress to be over $3,000, but that is nearly 10 times the correct estimate which is approximately $340.”
I doubt that even a letter from one of the authors of the study will stop the Republican lies. Reilly’s letter also points out that cap and trade legislation is not about taxes. It is about dealing with climate change. It is not a surprise that Republicans are trying to turn the debate away from climate change and energy independence. This isn’t a debate that they are going to win. Their best chance to stop cap and trade legislation is if they make it a tax issue. Once again, the GOP is treating people like they are stupid instead of honestly debating the merits of the policy.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
