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Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) voted against H.R. 6, the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, a Democrat bill that would only increase taxes, raise fuel costs, result in more job losses for Americans and maintain America’s dependence on foreign oil.

“Once again, the Democrats have proposed a bill that appears beneficial, but in reality it is anything but. This does nothing to alleviate America’s dependence on foreign oil,” Foxx commented.

The Congressional Budget Office as well as the Joint Committee on Taxation estimate this legislation will result in $7.7 billion in tax increases over ten years, in addition to $6.3 billion in new royalty payments over the same period. The bottom line is that the increased revenues from this tax hike could be used for any federal discretionary spending, and there is not a single guarantee the money will be used for alternative energy sources or exploration.

“This legislation pretends to foster alternative fuel sources, while it really raises taxes and maintains the status quo on America’s dependence on foreign oil. If this were to become law, the only result would be a loss of American jobs and an increased cost of gas and home heating oil.

“We have not built a refinery in America since 1976, and if this Congress is serious about depending less on foreign sources of energy and true energy reform, we must begin to build refineries again, allow for responsible exploration of energy within our own borders and truly invest in energy alternatives. Anything short of this continues to put America at the mercy of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the nations that control it,” Foxx concluded.

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