GOP congressman warns against ‘cow fart tax’

A tax on bovine emissions could hurt American farmers and consumers, House Select Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee Ranking Member James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) warned Tuesday.

Sensenbrenner condemned a proposed tax from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on cattle and some pigs on the basis of those animals’ methane emissions, which contribute in part to global climate change.

“This cow fart tax shows how outrageous the whole global warming and climate change debate is,” Sensenbrenner said during an appearance on Fox News. “It might be more civilized. The EPA calls it digestive gases. We all call those farts.”

The Wisconsin lawmaker, who leads Republicans on the committee overseeing the effects of global warming, said the taxes would be passed on to consumers who buy animal products.

“Well, the average Joe, when he goes to the supermarket and buys any kind of dairy product or beef or pork is going to end up paying through the nose to pay for the cow fart tax,” Sensenbrenner said.

He said the issue was “no laughing matter,” and blamed a Supreme Court decision giving the EPA wide leverage for regulate greenhouse gases and emissions for leading to the current situtation.

“Now, you know, I wonder if the EPA is going to say you can get an exemption from this tax if you put a catalytic converter on each end of the cow,” he said. “I wonder what the Humane Society would say about that.”

“This is not feeling like a career high for me,” Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly deadpanned during the interview.