House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement today regarding the National Energy Tax legislation introduced by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA):

“Since the House passed the National Energy Tax bill in June and sent it to the Senate, America’s unemployment rate has risen from 9.4 percent to 9.7 percent.  However, instead of moving forward with an energy plan that will create new jobs, Senate Democrats demonstrated today that they are as committed as ever to passing a job-killing National Energy Tax that will cost Americans over $1700 a year, spike energy bills and further devastate our economy.

“The Kerry-Boxer bill is another example of the Democrats’ misguided priorities.  Americans need leaders in Congress who will dig our economy out of the hole rather than piling on more problems.

“Republicans have an all-of-the-above energy plan that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create green jobs, drilling jobs, mining jobs and nuclear jobs.  We encourage Democrats to join us in supporting the American Energy Act instead of moving forward with a National Energy Tax.”

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