GOP recess message to focus on cap-and-trade

Republicans in Congress will spend the Memorial Day recess attacking Democrats for pushing a cap-and-trade bill that could raise Americans’ transportation and energy costs.

GOP House members will hold events in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and San Luis Obispo, Calif., from Tuesday through Thursday highlighting the Democrats’ bill, which would place new limits on carbon emissions.

{mosads}House Republicans have already begun calling the legislation a “cap-and-tax bill” because it could force consumers and companies to pay more for energy.

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), who plans to attend the Wednesday event in Indianapolis and the Thursday conference in California, said that the proposed emissions restrictions would hurt consumers and companies at the exact wrong time, during a recession.

“Nothing’s going at full speed and a lot of companies are just holding on,” Latta told The Hill. “And they know about cap-and-tax. One more little push could put them out.”

He said that his northwestern Ohio district, which is reliant on manufacturing, are already suffering from heavy job losses. Five of the counties in his district have had unemployment rates greater than 15 percent, he said. Those who still have jobs would also be hurt by a cap-and-trade bill.

“A lot of them drive 30-50 miles one way to work,” he said. “If fuel prices start to go back up these people are getting hammered.”

The energy legislation won the approval of the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week on a largely party-line vote. Three other House committees may take up the bill before it reaches the House floor, and Senate committees have yet to consider their version of cap-and-trade legislation this year.

Democrats and the Obama administration have said that putting a price on carbon emissions is the best way to wean the country off of foreign oil and stem global warming while also creating new jobs.

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) will attend the events in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, while House GOP Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) will be at the San Luis Obispo event.

Senate Republicans are also attacking the cap-and-trade bill, even though the upper chamber has yet to take up its version of the energy legislation this year.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said that Democrats should be more willing to produce more energy at home through oil exploration and nuclear plants instead of calling mainly for renewable types of energy. A broader approach will help the country more quickly wean itself off of foreign oil and avoid increased energy costs and lost jobs, Barrasso said in the GOP’s weekly address Saturday.

“There remains a large gap – an energy gap between the reliable energy that we need – and the renewable energy that we want,” Barrasso said. “There is plenty of American energy which the Democrats say that we should not use.”

The attacks on the Democratic energy proposals is part of a larger GOP effort to paint the Democrat-led Congress as big spenders who backed a $787 billion stimulus plan and are now pushing an energy tax and a “government takeover of healthcare,” according to House GOP talking points.

“The message is going to be, ‘Unfortunately, we have a bunch of spendaholics in Washington,'” Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) told The Hill.

Senate Republicans are also readying for the Supreme Court confirmation battle when Congress returns after the recess. President Obama said Saturday that his nominee to replace retiring Justice David Souter is coming soon. Until Obama names his pick, Republicans on the Hill appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach.

“We will support a Supreme Court justice who demonstrates integrity, impartiality, and a commitment to the rule of law,” wrote Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), the Senate Republican conference chairman, in a letter to his GOP colleagues.