Cantor Just Won't Give Up

Rep. Cantor Again Uses Incorrect Figure To Make His Argument

Rep. Cantor: "The Office of House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today launched a new video news release entitled, 'Number One Priority.' The video highlights Speaker Pelosi's top priority, 'cap and trade' legislation that will impose a national energy tax of up to $3,100 on all Americans and slam small businesses with higher energy bills, causing the loss of millions of jobs." [Press Release via email, 6/25/09]

FactCheck.org: "The $3,100 Figure Is A Misrepresentation Of Both Obama's Proposal And The Study From Which The Number Is Derived." According to FactCheck.org: "Leading Republicans are claiming that President Obama's proposal to curb greenhouse gas emissions would cost households as much as $3,100 per year. The Republican National Committee calls it a 'massive national energy tax.' But the $3,100 figure is a misrepresentation of both Obama's proposal and the study from which the number is derived... If the government did use revenue from cap and trade 'to pay an equal lump-sum rebate to every household,' the CBO expert said, 'lower-income households could be better off.'" [FactCheck.org, 5/28/09; emphasis added]

In 2020, Cap-And-Trade Will Only Cost An Average Of $175 Annually - "About A Postage Stamp A Day." In its analysis of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Congressional Budget Office wrote: "On that basis, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the net annual economy wide cost of the cap-and-trade program in 2020 would be $22 billion-or about $175 per household." Rep. Edward Markey noted it was "the cost of about a postage stamp a day." [CBO, 6/19/09; House Committee on Energy & Commerce Release, 6/20/09]