President Obama Should Not Use Oil Spill Crisis To Push For Job-Killing Nat’l Energy Tax

Obama Administration Seeks Political Advantage On Backs Of Gulf Coasters When Both Parties Should Be Working Together To Address This Crisis

http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=190549

President Obama Should Not Use Oil Spill Crisis To Push For Job-Killing Nat’l Energy Tax

Washington, Jun 15 -

In his address to the nation tonight, President Obama will reportedly use the Gulf oil spill crisis as a rationale to impose a job-killing national energy tax. To be sure, a feeding frenzy of liberal special interests is chomping at the bit, hoping the president will seize on his chief of staff’s philosophy that you “never let a good crisis go to waste.”

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) offered the following comment in advance of tonight’s Oval Office address:

“President Obama should not use this crisis as an excuse to impose a job-killing national energy tax on struggling families and small businesses. Americans want the President focused on stopping the leak and finding out what went wrong, not on twisting lawmakers' arms on Capitol Hill to pass more costly, job-killing legislation.”

President Obama has laid the groundwork for a renewed national energy tax push, even polling the issue in search of a political advantage:

“Obama calls on Congress to heed oil spill’s ‘wake-up call’ for emissions bill. … President Obama implored a reluctant Congress today to pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill this year in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.” (E&E News, 5/27/10)

“Obama seeks to whip up support for energy legislation on back of spill.” (The Hill, 6/14/10)

“…Obama’s pollster last week gave briefings to key leadership and committee staffers, as well as Democratic chiefs of staff, on the potential wonders a climate change bill could do for the party’s electoral prospects this fall.” (Roll Call, 6/15/10)

“Obama Says He’ll Push For Clean Energy Bill. … Seeking to harness the deepening anger over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the advantage of his legislative agenda, Mr. Obama promised to find the lagging votes in the Senate to get the climate change and energy bill passed this year.” (New York Times, 6/3/10)

“President Obama to seize on Gulf oil crisis to push for climate change legislation.” (The Examiner, 6/14/10)

“Joel Benenson, a pollster for the Democratic National Committee and Obama’s presidential campaign, argues in a new briefing for top Capitol Hill officials that a comprehensive energy bill ‘could give Democrats a potent weapon to wield against Republicans in the fall.’” (Politico, 6/14/10)

In the year since House Democrats forced through their much-maligned national energy tax bill, the nation’s economic situation has only grown more precarious. Americans need real solutions to create jobs, lower energy prices, and clean up the environment, but President Obama’s national energy tax is a recipe for increasing the burden on families and small businesses and shipping more American jobs overseas. The national energy tax was “left for dead” on the merits, and it should stay that way

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