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Thursday, Nov 15, 2012 10:01 PM UTC

House GOP Leadership pledged to oppose “climate tax”

The Koch-backed Americans For Prosperity has the support of House Republicans

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Topics: Republicans, Americans for Prosperity, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Koch Brothers, Climate Change, ,

House GOP Leadership pledged to oppose Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, speaks to reporters after the House Republicans voted for their leadership for the next session of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The entire GOP leadership has signed a pledge to “oppose any legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.”

The Tea Party group Americans for Prosperity, which is backed by the Koch brothers, sent out a press release Thursday marking the election of House GOP leadership with a reminder that they had all signed.

It lists these key House Republicans as who signed on:

  • John Boehner – Speaker of the House
  • Eric Cantor – Republican Majority Leader
  • Kevin McCarthy – Republican Majority Whip
  • Cathy McMorris Rodgers – Republican Conference Chairman
  • Greg Walden – National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman
  • James Lankford – Republican Policy Committee Chairman
  • Lynn Jenkins – Republican Conference Vice-Chair
  • Virginia Foxx – Republican Conference Secretary
  • Tim Scott – Sophomore Class Liaison to Leadership

“It is heartening to see that for the second congress in a row the House of Representatives will be led by a team that is publicly committed not to use climate as a guise to grow government,” said AFP Director of Policy James Valvo in a statement.

“Using a carbon tax to address the deficit would clearly be a violation of the pledge that the entire House leadership team for the 112th and now 113th Congress have already pledged not to do,” he said.

In his press conference yesterday, President Obama said that the government needs to address climate change, but Press Secretary Jay Carney said today that there is no plan for a carbon tax. ”We would never propose a carbon tax and have no intention of proposing one,” Carney said. “The point the president was making is that our focus right now is the same as the American people’s focus, which is on the need to extend economic growth, expand job creation.”

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com. More Jillian Rayfield.

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