AFP-FL today applauded U.S. House candidate Steve Southerland (2nd District) for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.” Southerland joins more than 575 bipartisan lawmakers and candidates on the federal, state and local levels pledging to “oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.”

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

Florida signers include: U.S. Representatives C.W. Bill Young, Bill Posey and Jeff Miller; and U.S. House candidates Todd Long, Patricia Sullivan, Mike Prendergast, Dennis Ross, Sandy Adam, Karen Diebel, Bruce O’Donoghue and Craig Miller.

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 Senate has struggled to pass companion legislation, with 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 bureaucratic big government is unacceptable,” said Fogel. “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.