Claim:
The American Clean Energy and Security Act is the “largest tax increase in American history under the guise of climate change legislation … there is no debate that this legislation will cost millions of American jobs.” – Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), 6/26/09
Truth:
On the first point … sigh … here we go again.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Congressional Budget Office each analyzed the American Clean Energy and Security Act separately. The EPA found a carbon cap would cost the average American household as little as $88-$140 per household per year over the life of the program – or about a dime a day per person.
The CBO got similar results; it found we could get all the benefits of a carbon cap for less than the cost of a postage stamp per day per household. Anyone who thinks that’s the biggest tax increase in America’s history needs to brush up on their history.
On the second point … the one about costing jobs … how about it will create jobs. Today, trailblazers in the renewable energy, energy efficiency and manufacturing sectors are already operating in every state in the U.S. Those companies are poised to grow — and create jobs – when ACES passes.
To see a snapshot of the huge economic opportunities, check out www.LessCarbonMoreJobs.org, an innovative online map that shows over 2,000 clean energy companies in 20 states.