Luetkemeyer, Colleagues Ask Pelosi to Delay Hasty Vote on Tax Devastating to Farm Families
Luetkemeyer,
Colleagues Ask Pelosi to Delay Hasty Vote on Tax Devastating to Farm
Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. _ U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) along with 17 of
his colleagues on the Agriculture Committee today asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi to
delay a vote on a national cap-and-trade energy tax so that farm families and
the agriculture community can be fully heard on the devastating impact of the
legislation.
“We should
not be rushing this cap and tax bill through committee because family farmers
and the agriculture community should be shown the courtesy of having their
voices heard and concerns addressed before saddling them with higher energy
bills during tough economic times,” Luetkemeyer said. “We would hope that the
Speaker would show rural Americans that she cares about them by slowing things
down in the name of government transparency.”
The
cap-and-tax bill will increase taxes, eliminate jobs or drive them offshore and
significantly raise energy costs. Family budgets could see an estimated $3,000
per household tax increase because of the disastrous consequences of the
misguided bill. Furthermore, this national energy tax would increase the cost of
doing business, which hurts small business owners and family farmers and would
force many firms to leave this country.
“As a result of your
stated deadline of June 19 for consideration, the Chairman of the House
Committee on Agriculture has told us that there is insufficient time to
completely hear from all of our constituents, analyze this complex proposal, and act,” Luetkemeyer and other members of the
committee said in the letter to Pelosi. “With the magnitude of this bill, it is
critically important that the House Agriculture Committee has sufficient time to work its will.”
While opposed to the
national energy tax because of its devastating effects on family farms,
Luetkemeyer supports the American Energy Act that includes a renewed commitment
to safe and emissions-free nuclear energy with the goal of licensing 100 new
nuclear reactors over the next 20 years. Luetkemeyer said that support for
nuclear energy in the 9th District has been significant with even
The Columbia Daily Tribune noting on June 12 that “more nuclear generation” is one of the best ways to solve the country’s
immediate energy needs.
