House GOP to Franken, Klobuchar: Stop cap-and-trade

ST. PAUL, December 8, 2009 – House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, and 20 other House Republicans today sent a letter to US Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken expressing the members’ opposition to the cap-and-trade bills making their way through Washington. 

Excerpts:

Our agriculture industry would be especially hard hit if the U.S. Senate adopts cap-and-trade legislation similar to that passed by the U.S. House. According to a report released by Missouri Sen. Kit Bond and Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson on October 21, America’s farmers and ranchers would be hit with $550 million in higher fuel costs by 2020 and $1.65 billion in 2050 as a direct result of climate change legislation. Minnesota’s rural economy—particularly the dairy industry—cannot sustain this kind of hit. The USDA already rates dairy as one of the most highly-leveraged agriculture industries. Forcing the burden of massive energy increases on their operations would be crippling.

Our country is suffering from the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. It is financially irresponsible to consider legislation that would impose the largest tax hike in American history when so many people and businesses are already struggling to make ends meet. Our country simply cannot afford to take this gamble.

The full letter is online here.