ALEXANDRIA, VA – In a letter sent this week to all Members of Congress, the Center for Individual Freedom (“CFIF”) joined with a coalition of 186 state and national leaders to urge opposition to H.R. 2454, “The American Clean Energy and Security Act,” also known as the Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade bill. 

The letter, organized by Americans for Tax Reform, was signed by 119 current legislators representing 39 different states, heads of think tanks, activist groups, business owners and organizations, representing millions of American families opposed to what amounts to a massive energy tax. 

“The Waxman-Markey bill you are asked to consider will increase energy costs by $1,500 annually for the typical family of four,” the letter reads.  “Further, the Heritage Foundation estimates that even with the estimated 26 percent reduction in electricity use, electric bills will increase $754 with the Waxman-Markey plan. Additionally, from 2012 to 2035, a typical family will spend $12,200 more on its electric bill than in the absence of Waxman-Markey,” continues the letter.

H.R. 2454 was recently passed out of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Upon Members of Congress receiving the letter, CFIF President Jeffrey Mazzella commented, “Waxman-Markey represents one of the greatest assaults on the family budget and American economy in recent memory.  The only things ‘capped’ by this legislation would be U.S. economic growth and the size of taxpayers’ wallets.  The only thing ‘traded’ would be U.S. jobs, as they would move overseas,” Mazzella continued.

“The last thing American families need right now is an enormous spike in their utility bills and monthly gas budgets.  It’s our hope that this massive coalition statement will open the eyes of some in Congress seemingly more concerned with scoring political points with special interest allies than strengthening the struggling U.S. economy,” concluded Mazzella.