LANSING—The Michigan chapter of the grassroots free market group Americans for Prosperity (AFP-MI) today applauded U.S. Congressman Fred Upton (6th District) for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.” Upton joins more than 325 legislators and candidates on the federal, state and local levels pledging to “oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in federal revenue.”

“The one thing elected officials should be able to agree on is that global warming shouldn’t be used as an excuse to hike taxes on citizens and businesses,” said AFP-MI State Director Scott Hagerstrom. “We encourage all of Michigan’s elected officials and candidates for office to sign the pledge.”

Other Michigan signers include: U.S. House candidates Tim Walberg (7th District), Paul Welday (9th District), Rocky Raczkowski (9th), Jay Riemersma (2nd District) and State Sen. Wayne Kuipers (2nd District); and seven state representatives.

Cap-and-trade took its first step toward enactment last year when the U.S. House narrowly passed the Waxman-Markey energy tax bill, which escaped the lower chamber by a scant seven votes despite significant bipartisan opposition. The U.S. Senate has struggled to pass companion legislation, with several key Democratic senators openly expressing opposition to attempting to pass the energy tax bill.

President Obama has made no secret of his support for the bill, which would be the largest tax increase in American history. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has scored the House plan as an $846 billion increase in federal revenue, a burden that will be borne by taxpayers and consumers for decades to come.

“Using the guise of climate change to transfer dollars from hard-working citizens to big government is unacceptable,” said Hagerstrom. “Regardless of their stance on global warming, this should be common ground for all of our elected officials at all levels of government.”

The pledge is available online at www.NoClimateTax.com. AFP does not endorse candidates. All elected officials and candidates are encouraged to sign the pledge and go on the record in opposition to using the climate change issue to increase taxes and grow the size of government.