Another Carbon Tax? Here’s Your Yellow Vest

Republican lawmaker Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) ‘vested’ by the American Energy Alliance for proposing an energy tax increase on American families.

WASHINGTON DC (October 1, 2019) – The American Energy Alliance (AEA) has “awarded” another yellow vest to a Republican lawmaker for his proposed carbon tax legislation which ultimately will raise costs on American consumers with no significant environmental benefit.

Earlier this year, AEA issued its first yellow vest to Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL), signaling to the lawmaker and other Members of Congress that the organization is closely watching bait-and-switch proposals that claim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but in reality will make energy more costly and end up restricting consumer choice. Since the U.S. House of Representatives is on a two-week recess, AEA is sending the yellow vest to the lawmaker’s District office in Langhone, PA. Thomas Pyle, AEA President, issued the following statement:

“The misleadingly titled MARKET CHOICE Act ironically reduces options for consumers. Rep. Fitzpatrick’s national energy tax will harm each and every American family by increasing their energy costs, taking away choices, and creating more government bureaucracy. A national energy tax is hardly a conservative policy. In addition to the fact that it is a new tax, it manipulates the free market and creates a preference for one energy source over another.”

Yellow-vest protesters first emerged in Paris last fall when citizens began to publicly rebel against rising fuel taxes explicitly billed by President Macron as a way to meet France’s commitments under the Paris climate accord. In order to speak out, average citizens took to the streets wearing yellow safety vests that served as a rallying symbol for French motorists. AEA’s Pyle added to his statement:

“The ferocious commitment of the yellow-vest protesters to fighting against a carbon tax ought to send a clear message to our own lawmakers. President Trump was right to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, saying he represented Pittsburgh, not Paris. My advice to Congressman Fitzpatrick is he should draw a lesson from President Trump and the yellow vest movement by looking out for the citizens of the suburbs of Philly, not France,” Pyle said.

Below is a copy of the letter included with Rep. Fitzpatrick’s yellow vest.

Dear Representative Fitzpatrick,

In solidarity with the French citizens who protested expensive climate policies in their country, we at the American Energy Alliance have provided you with a yellow vest to object to your sponsorship of a destructive national energy tax, the inaptly named “MARKET CHOICE Act,” that will raise energy costs on American families and put the U.S. in a weaker financial state.

The “Gilets Jaunes” movement that began last fall in France was in response to rising fuel taxes explicitly billed by President Macron as a way to meet France’s commitments under the Paris climate accord. In order to speak out, average citizens took to the streets wearing yellow safety vests that serve as a rallying symbol for French motorists. Just like your carbon tax, Macron’s destructive tax would have made fuel more costly and restricted consumer choice, for little or no environmental benefit.

Your tax on energy will result in higher energy prices for all Americans, disproportionally harming lower-income people. Furthermore, it will not only inflict harm on consumers and the broader U.S. economy, it would foist additional burdens on state and local governments, all while failing to make any meaningful dent in the total emissions profile worldwide. While we agree that the nation needs to focus on its infrastructure needs, this is not the way to do it.

Whether ballot initiatives in Washington state, provincial elections in Canada, or protests in France, when the people weigh in on carbon taxes the answer is always the same: Non!

On behalf of AEA’s one million grassroots activists, we hope you reverse course. Our policy experts stand by ready to assist you whenever you and/or your staff are ready.