AP News, July 7th, 2007
A House committee chairman is trying to show his Democratic colleagues that people in the U.S. are not ready to pay the full costs of fixing global warming.
Rep. John Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, says he will propose a "carbon tax" on the burning of fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But he says he only is offering the plan to show how unpopular it would be.
"I sincerely doubt that the American people are willing to pay what this is really going to cost them," Dingell, D-Mich., said in an interview Friday on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers," which is to air Sunday.
His proposal would boost the federal gasoline tax by 50 cents a gallon, he said, and establish a "double digit" tax on each ton of carbon dioxide emissions. The federal tax on a gallon of gas is now 18.4 cents and has not risen in 14 years.
His remarks coincided with the weekend of Live Earth, a series of concerts around the world aimed at raising awareness of climate change. The concerts are backed by former Vice President Al Gore, a proponent of a carbon-based tax.
Dingell is under pressure from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to put forward a bill on climate change this fall. He is counting on his proposal being unpopular to make a statement.
"I will be introducing in the next little bit a carbon tax bill, just to sort of see how people really feel about this," he said. "When you see the criticism I get, I think you'll see the answer to your question."
Many in Congress, including Democrats and Republicans, prefer a "cap-and-trade" program that sets a mandatory cap on carbon emissions and lets businesses buy and sell the allowances. Such a program was used to limit sulfur dioxide, which contributes to acid rain.
