Follow us on:
......................................................................................................
Friday, June 26, 2009
Congressman Terry made the following statement on the House floor today regarding the cap and tax bill:
Madame Speaker:
While there is still vigorous debate over the amount of the human contribution to global warming, it seems clear that man has played a role. I believe that we have a moral obligation to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and use clean, reliable, affordable sources of energy. But we must balance this moral obligation with an equal obligation we have to our constituents to do this in a manner that preserves our nation’s economic competitiveness and jobs for Americans.
The Cap and Tax bill before us today is exactly that — an attempt to collect more money from Americans through indirect taxation; it is not a serious attempt to reduce carbon dioxide or other GHG emissions. The basic message of Cap and Tax bill is that "you can still emit CO2 as long as long as you pay the government for this privilege." This would be called extortion under other circumstances. Tony Soprano would be proud.
Other means of reducing emissions, such as phasing out older, dirtier, less efficient coal plants and replacing them in an orderly manner with clean, reliable, affordable energy like nuclear power were dismissed by the Democrat Leadership without even cursory consideration. However, this approach would produce more jobs than the Cap and Tax bill, and result in significant CO2 reductions without the significant increase in costs to consumers’ utility bills this bill creates.
Advocates of the Cap and Tax bill state that it will not significantly increase the economic burdens on our constituents. This is just not true. The Cap and Tax bill also contains a Renewable Electricity Standard and other elements which will significantly increase costs to utilities and consumers. The Omaha Public Power District in my District conducted an independent analysis of the costs to my constituents, free of political interference like the one put out by EPA. Even with the free allowances allocated under the Waxman-Markey Cap and Tax bill, costs for Nebraskans will increase by $74 million in 2012, and increase to $410 million a year by 2030 in the most optimistic case. My constituents will pay a new energy tax every time they flip on a light switch, turn on their computers, or charge their cell phones.
When the Energy & Commerce Committee met, amendments to replace old coal plants with clean, reliable, affordable energy from nuclear plants, or to encourage the construction of more nuclear plants to reduce our carbon emissions, were rejected on mostly party lines. This makes no sense. Nuclear power is clean, reliable, and the cheapest means of producing electricity in history to date. I urge my colleagues to reject this costly, job-killing legislation.
......................................................................................................
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
In a CNBC interview economic guru Warren Buffett criticized Speaker Nancy Pelosi's plan for a new energy tax, watch the interview here:
......................................................................................................
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Conference Call with Nebraska Farm Bureau on Cap and Trade
Click here to listen > (MP3 format).
Monday, June 15, 2009
The American Energy Act
An "All-of-the-Above" Solution for Energy Independence
Increase production of American-made energy in an environmentally-sound manner.
• Promote new, clean and renewable sources of energy such as nuclear, clean-coal-technology, wind and solar energy.
• Encourage greater efficiency and conservation by extending tax incentives for energy efficiency and rewarding development of greater conservation techniques and new energy sources.
• Cut red-tape and reduce frivolous litigation.
The American Energy Act is an "all-of-the-above" solution that offers more affordable energy, more well-paying jobs, energy independence, and a cleaner environment.
Read more by downloading the full article here > (pdf).
......................................................................................................
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Omaha World Herald Op-Ed Article:
"Cap-and-trade would mean bigger bills for OOPD ratepayers"
by Gary Gates and Fred Ulrich
The Omaha Public Power District's customer-owners are faced with the prospect that federal legislation would undo much of the public power advantage they've enjoyed for more than six decades.
Read more by downloading the full article here > (pdf).
Download the OPPD Cost Impact Report here > (pdf).
......................................................................................................
Published Monday June 8, 2009
A hefty price to go green
BY JOSEPH MORTON • WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
WASHINGTON - Sure, you want to save the planet, but how much do you want to pay for it?
Local electric utilities say environmental legislation moving through Congress carries a potentially hefty price tag, with rates projected to rise about 25 percent in 2012 just from one aspect of the proposal. And Midwesterners could be especially hard hit, they say.
"It's undeniable the cost will be significant," said David Sokol, chairman of Iowa-based MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.
Read full article here > (pdf).
RELATED MEDIA: David Sokol, Chairman of the Board for MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company reads his opening statement at an Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on cap and trade:
RELATED MEDIA: Chairman of the Board for MidAmerican Holdings Corporation David Sokol recently testified on Capitol Hill against cap and trade:
......................................................................................................
Friday, June 5, 2009
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which I am a member of, unfortunately passed a cap and trade proposal put forth by Representatives Henry Waxman and Ed Markey. Their proposal is nothing more than a new energy tax that will hit you and businesses hard. Every time you flip on a light switch, fill up your gas tank you will suffer. Farmers will be especially impacted by this proposal. With little or no input from you this bill is making its way through Congressional committees and will likely be on the House floor in the coming weeks.
I would like to share with you what one of my colleagues, Representative Frank Lucas of Oklahoma had to say about the impact of cap and trade on agriculture.
"Those who will be hit the hardest will be people living in rural areas. Unlike Chairman Waxman's Hollywood constituents, rural Americans have different lifestyles and challenges. They must travel farther for routine errands—25 percent more miles than urban households according to the most recent Federal Highway data. And, rural households spend 58% more on fuel than urban residents as a percentage of their income. Power providers in rural America face a unique challenge of providing affordable electricity to larger, less densely populated areas. Rural Electric Cooperatives serve 40 million Americans averaging around seven consumers per mile, while other utilities average 35 customers per mile."
He's exactly right. Agriculture feeds our nation and to impose this new tax on our Agriculture industry is irresponsible and unconscionable. Many farm groups have come out against this new and devastating tax. I recently participated in a conference call with national bloggers to talk about this reckless cap and trade proposal. Listen to the call here:
......................................................................................................
Friday, June 5, 2009
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which I am a member of, unfortunately passed a cap and trade proposal put forth by Representatives Henry Waxman and Ed Markey. Their proposal is nothing more than a new energy tax that will hit you and businesses hard. Every time you flip on a light switch, fill up your gas tank you will suffer. Farmers will be especially impacted by this proposal. With little or no input from you this bill is making its way through Congressional committees and will likely be on the House floor in the coming weeks.
I would like to share with you what one of my colleagues, Representative Frank Lucas of Oklahoma had to say about the impact of cap and trade on agriculture.
"Those who will be hit the hardest will be people living in rural areas. Unlike Chairman Waxman's Hollywood constituents, rural Americans have different lifestyles and challenges. They must travel farther for routine errands—25 percent more miles than urban households according to the most recent Federal Highway data. And, rural households spend 58% more on fuel than urban residents as a percentage of their income. Power providers in rural America face a unique challenge of providing affordable electricity to larger, less densely populated areas. Rural Electric Cooperatives serve 40 million Americans averaging around seven consumers per mile, while other utilities average 35 customers per mile."
He's exactly right. Agriculture feeds our nation and to impose this new tax on our Agriculture industry is irresponsible and unconscionable. Many farm groups have come out against this new and devastating tax. I recently participated in a conference call with national bloggers to talk about this reckless cap and trade proposal. Listen to the call here:
......................................................................................................
Monday, May 18, 2009
CAP AND TRADE
This week the Energy and Commerce Committee will be discussing a cap and trade proposal put forth by Representatives Henry Waxman and Ed Markey. We can all agree we need to find cleaner sources of energy, but this cap and trade plan is nothing more than a new energy tax that will be devastating to you and our already brittle economy.
To sum it up this bill will punish businesses who don't meet extreme and unreasonable CO2 emission standards by taking their capital to pay the government. This will be fatal to our economy because in essence businesses will see their electric bill double which will be devastating to a manufacturers and businesses who use fossil fuels. Most companies won't be able to survive and many will chose to move to other countries. Now we've lost businesses and millions of jobs to boot.
Companies will also have no choice but to pass on this new and crushing tax to you. Every time you turn on a light switch, cook dinner or fill up your tank you'll be impacted by this cap and trade proposal. The Heritage Foundation estimates by 2035 the impact of the Waxman-Markey proposal will be:
•Reduce aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) by $7.4 trillion
•Destroy 844,000 jobs on average, with peak years seeing unemployment rise by over 1,900,000 jobs
•Raise electricity rates 90 percent after adjusting for inflation
•Raise inflation-adjusted gasoline prices by 74 percent
•Raise residential natural gas prices by 55 percent
•Raise an average family's annual energy bill by $1,500
•Increase inflation-adjusted federal debt by 29 percent, or $33,400 additional federal debt per person, again after adjusting for inflation
Let's not drive our economy off a cliff by instituting a new and catastrophic tax just to reduce 1 percent of CO2 emission globally. If you have any questions about this proposal don't hesitate to contact my office at: 402-397-9944
Audio Clip 01: Lee Tery interview (Salem Radio Network News) - .wav format
Audio Clip 02: Lee Tery interview (Salem Radio Network News) - .wav format
......................................................................................................
A CHART IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS...
Click on the chart below
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
CAP AND TRADE HEARINGS
Energy and Commerce Democrats are meeting with President Obama (no Republicans allowed) to mend the division between them on the Waxman-Pelosi-Markey draft. There are two distinct camps: the more moderate Blue dogs known as the Boucher-Dingel camp and the liberal Camp of Waxman-Markey who staunchly support cap and tax and nothing else. So which side will have their arms twisted into submission? I doubt the President is calling the Democratic committee members to his office to make chairman Waxman, Mr. Markey and Speaker Pelosi to move.
At the same time, the task force that will draft a viable alternative that I'm a member of is holding an open hearing with television cameras, reporters and bloggers. Witness like Gov. Engler who heads the National Association of Manufacturers who testified that industry uses 34% of electricity and has 12.3 million jobs at stake. Their estimate is that industry electrical rates would rise 142%! Natural gas prices rise 180%. That would cost industry jobs, estimated around 4 million.
Witnesses state that common sense leads one to conclude that high increases in energy costs will decrease competitiveness of U.S. Industry, so many will close or move out of the U.S.
Ms. Jaeger, a public health expert, states the debate on cap & trade should focus on the balance of public health and cost to people. She mentions that if the Waxman plan is adopted it would result in negligible reduction of CO2 with no realized public health benefits. Keep in mind other countries will add more CO2 in the next generation than U.S. would reduce during the same time. But every one agrees that everyone, every family, every business will pay a lot more for their electricity and gas.
Dr. Calzada from Spain informs that the creation of green jobs in his country is half of what traditional energy jobs were lost. That 90% of the green jobs are installation and temporary, 10% are permanent. He suggests that is why Spain has the highest unemployment in the European Union at almost 17%
Media