AFP Applauds OK-5 Candidate Kevin Calvey

Americans for Prosperity Applauds U.S. Congressional Candidate
Kevin Calvey

-Signs No Climate Tax Pledge-

The Oklahoma chapter of the free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity (AFP-OK) today applauded U.S. Congressional candidate Kevin Calvey (5th District) for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.” By doing so, Calvey joins over 285 lawmakers and candidates on the federal, state and local levels pledging to “oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.”

“The one thing elected officials should be able to agree on is that global warming shouldn’t be used as an excuse to hike taxes on citizens and businesses,” said AFP-OK State Director Stuart Jolly. “We encourage all of Oklahoma’s elected officials and candidates for elected office to sign the pledge.”

Other Oklahoma signers include U.S. Senators James Inhofe and Tom Coburn; U.S. Representatives John Sullivan and Tom Cole; and Oklahoma Speaker of the House Chris Benge.

Cap-and-trade took its first step toward enactment when the U.S. House narrowly passed the Waxman- Markey energy tax bill, which escaped the lower chamber by a scant seven votes despite significant bipartisan opposition. Senators Boxer (D-Calif.) and Kerry (D-Mass.) have just begun committee hearings on companion legislation in the Senate. However, key Democratic senators have expressed opposition to attempting to pass cap-and-trade this year.

President Obama has made no secret of his support for the bill, which would be the largest tax increase in American history. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has scored the plan as an $846 billion increase in federal revenue, a burden that will be borne by taxpayers and consumers for decades to come.

“Using the guise of climate change to transfer dollars from hard-working citizens to bureaucratic big government is unacceptable,” said Jolly. “Regardless of their stance on global warming, this should be common ground for all of our elected officials at all levels of government.”