GOP offers resolution calling carbon tax harmful to low-income families

Senate Republicans this week proposed a resolution that says a carbon tax would hurt lower-income Americans already struggling under the "stagnating economy" and should be opposed.

"[I]t is the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to American families and businesses, and is not in the interest of the United States," it reads.

The resolution, from Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and 17 other GOP senators, comes despite the Obama administration recently indicating that it will not be proposing a tax on carbon usage any time soon. 

"What I can tell you is that we have not proposed and have no intention of proposing a carbon tax," White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Jan. 23.

But the resolution nonetheless shows the strong opposition to the idea from Republicans.

The short resolution says a carbon tax would "increase the cost of every good manufactured in the United States" and would "harm the entire United States manufacturing sector." In contrast, it says domestic-energy production has led to "significant job growth," and that access to affordable and reliable energy sources are "critical to maintaining the United States' global competitiveness."

---