CARBON TAX

Hello everybody, this is Congressman John D. Dingell, and welcome to my podcast.

I would like to invite all of you listening today to visit my website (www.house.gov/dingell) to review a proposal that I have put forward and to share your thoughts on what I believe is an important component in my greater effort to address global warming – a carbon fee, which will ultimately reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The public is offering general ideas on how to limit global warming in editorials, radio call-in shows and the blogs. I want to offer you a chance to go one step further and actually comment on a draft legislative proposal. I think because of the complexity and the importance of the issue this is the right time to open up a public discourse on a carbon fee.

My goal remains to follow the advice of the world’s best scientists and work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80 percent by the year 2050. In order to get to this end we need to have a multi-pronged approach. We have taken one step forward already with the passage of an energy independence bill that was approved by the full House of Representatives this past summer. This legislation includes efficiency provisions that will reduce energy costs to consumers and remove more than 10.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2030, an amount equal to 5 times the annual emissions of all of the cars on the road in America today.

I am also a co-sponsor of H.R. 2927, the Hill-Terry fuel economy bill, which would mandate an increase in automobile fuel efficiency standards by nearly 40 percent by 2022, but it would also protect American jobs and it would create incentives for new breakthrough fuel efficient technologies.

In addition, I also agree with the findings of the Government Accountability Office, which released findings this summer indicating a cap-and-trade program and a carbon fee will do even more to address the effects of global warming. I am working to develop an economy-wise cap-and-trade program – and I have put forward some ideas on that too, which you can also see on my website. But first, I hope to move forward with what prominent and thoughtful figures – ranging from former Bush economic adviser Gregory Mankiw to former Vice President Al Gore – have said is the simplest, most efficient way to limit climate change – a carbon emission fee.

For that reason, I believe that a carbon (and gasoline) tax must be on the table for discussion. And I want to see the American people discuss this issue, so that they can give us their guidance as to whether this is good and this is what they want, and this is what works.

Right now, the draft of the bill contains:
• A $50 fee per ton of carbon
• A .50 (cent) fee per gallon of gasoline
• And a phase out of the mortgage interest deduction on large homes with exemptions for historical homes (built prior to 1900) and farm houses and exemptions for home owners who purchase carbon offsets to make their home carbon neutral or own LEED certified homes.

I would like to invite all of you listening today to visit my website, (www.house.gov/dingell) to look at a summary of this draft legislation. After reviewing the proposal, you can use the comment form right on my website to give me your thoughts on the idea: whether you love it or hate it; and I want you to know I look forward to hearing from you.

The earth is getting warmer and human activities are a large part of the cause. We must remember we all have a common goal and are in this fight together. I look forward to hearing from you. This is John D. Dingell. Thank you for listening.