Washington, DC – The American Energy Alliance(AEA), a non-profit organization that educatesand engages the public on benefits ofmarket-based energy policy, today congratulated Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)for siding with his constituents and opting out of one of the most economicallydamaging pieces of legislation this country has ever seen.
“Senator Graham has spent nearly six and a halfmonths negotiating behind closed doors with big business, special interests andrent-seeking lobbyists to increase the price of 85 percent of the energyAmericans use daily,” said Thomas J. Pyle, president of AEA. “And the Senatorshould be congratulated today for apparently backing out of this job killinglegislation.”
AEA was the firstorganization to launch a comprehensive media campaign in South Carolina shortlyafter Senator Graham announced his intentto draft a national energy tax with Senator John Kerry(D-Mass.). This campaign, which ranstatewide, was the beginning of a multi-pronged strategyto educate Palmetto State voters on the negative economic impacts such a planwould have on their state. This proposal, while not yet revealed publicly, was reported to have included a renewable electricity standard (RES), which is themandated use of expensive forms of electricity and a increase in the federalgasoline and diesel tax, which some have coined the “Graham Gas Tax.”
“By walking away from this effort, it is clearthat Senator Graham chose to listen to his constituents, who urged him to stayaway from this legislation. We hope that Senator Graham sticks to his guns andremains on the side of the American people who oppose cap-and-trade and anational energy tax,” concluded Pyle.
More on AEA’s efforts in South Carolina:
Press Release: RadioCampaign Seeks to Educate South Carolina Voters on Consequences ofCap-and-Trade
Media Alert: Inthe Crosshairs: AEA Launches another TV Ad in SC focused on Sen. Graham’sCap-and-Trade Support
Graham’s World vs. Real World: Sen.Graham Cap-and-Tax Double Talk Continues