Boehner: President’s National Energy Tax Will Destroy Jobs, Wreck Family Budgets

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) yesterday issued the following statement on President Obama’s demand for Congress to pass a budget that includes a massive new national energy tax that will hit middle-class families and small businesses:

“It’s disturbing that the President is calling for a national energy tax that will destroy jobs and wreck family budgets, and even more disturbing that White House officials have identified this national energy tax as a non-negotiable presidential priority. We need a better solution, and Republicans will offer one.

“Middle-class families and small businesses face a slumping job market, rising costs of living, and evaporating savings. Unfortunately, President Obama’s budget is poised to make matters even worse forcing Americans to deal with a new national energy tax that will cost families up to $3,100 per year.

“From last week’s revelation that the President’s budget costs a staggering $2.3 trillion more than the White House claimed to today’s discussion of a new national energy tax, Washington Democrats are making all the wrong moves when it comes to getting our economy back on track. They should work with Republicans on a budget that will help rebuild savings, create jobs, and get the government’s fiscal house back in order. The President’s budget will harm our economy and destroy jobs by spending too much, taxing too much, and borrowing too much. Republicans will offer a better budget solution in the days to come, and we hope the President and his Democratic colleagues will give it the consideration it deserves.”

Highway Users Bewildered by Administration's Transportation Budget Proposal

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For attribution to Greg Cohen, President & CEO of The American Highway Users Alliance:

"Apparently, the staff at US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Office of Management and Budget have not been listening to President Obama and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

"Throughout his campaign and during his inauguration speech, President Obama promoted investment in 'roads and bridges' to keep our country moving. During his confirmation hearing, Secretary LaHood opposed the tolling of existing, toll-free roads. Yet the authors of the Transportation Department's 2010 budget framework must have been out of the office when their bosses were speaking.

"The President's strong support for roads and bridges serves him well. Despite the controversy over the Economic Recovery package, 94% of Americans supported the President's call to increase infrastructure investments. Roads and bridges rank #2 in importance among infrastructure priorities for the American people. And while Congress only provided 3.6% of the Economic Recovery funds for roads and bridges, the President's consistent promotion of highway infrastructure made his views crystal clear.

"Yet the 2010 budget framework for DOT includes no mention of roads, repeals the 87-year old contracting mechanism that guarantees funds for multi-year projects, and mentions 'road pricing' (tolls) as an option for states to deal with the meager funding levels.

"Given all of the stated support for roads and bridges, The Highway Users are mystified by the treatment of highway funding in the FY10 budget framework," said Greg Cohen, President & CEO of The Highway Users.

The budget framework raises four red flags:
1. The proposal implies that the 87-year old budgetary mechanism known as
"contract authority" be deleted from the budget. Without contract
authority, multi-year highway projects cannot be fully-funded.
2. There is no mention of President Obama's support for roads and bridges
anywhere in DOT's budget framework.
3. "Road pricing" is discussed as an option in the budget framework,
despite Secretary LaHood's opposition to tolling existing roads.
4. There is no room in the budget for any substantial increase in highway
funding, despite the President's recent call for investment levels that
would rival the funding for construction of the Interstate Highway
System.


Cohen stated, "Until these issues are resolved, the American Highway Users Alliance will remain deeply concerned about the FY2010 budget framework. We look forward to improvements in the final budget request and sincerely hope that the President and Secretary of Transportation continue to exhibit leadership in promoting roads, bridges, and mobility in the 2010 budget."

LNC Chairman Response to Obama and Jindal

-Libertarian National Committee (LNC) Chairman William Redpath released the following statement Wednesday:

“Americans have always bounced back from adversity by exercising the freedoms guaranteed by limited government, which is why Libertarians are so disappointed in the recovery-delaying policies laid out last night by President Obama.

“No nation has ever spent its way out of a recession. In fact, budget-busting policies, like those proposed by President Obama, and our society’s overreliance on debt, are largely what got our economy into this needless situation.

“Obama’s statement that ‘A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future’ was particularly disturbing. He wrongly assumes that tax money belongs to government, not the taxpayer it was taken from, and only government can create prosperity. The private sector’s investment, not government’s, is what is really responsible for the wealth of ordinary Americans.

“The American people know better. They know entrepreneurs, not government, create prosperity for all. That is why they agree with Libertarians that tax relief for employers and taxpayers must be at the center of any stimulus plan.

“Instead of an unceasing focus on ‘jobs’ the government should be creating the conditions for wealth creation for long-term prosperity. Government policies should be changed to stop rewarding debt incurrence and to promote private savings and investment.

“Sadly, President Obama is taking America in a different direction. His promise last night to raise taxes on employers will delay our eventual recovery, prolonging the suffering of the unemployed and underemployed.

“I hope President Obama is serious about ending ineffective programs. We shall see. I was also heartened by his call for Universal Savings Accounts for all Americans as part of Social Security reform, but future details will have to be carefully examined.

“I salute Governor Jindal’s opposition to the large stimulus bill, and his mea culpa on behalf of the Republican Party. Republicans have a well-earned reputation for expanding deficits, bloated budgets and government largesse. The Medicare entitlement expansion, ‘No Child Left Behind’ and TARP bailout are just a few of the Republican proposals responsible for our unsustainable budget. Hopefully, as the current opposition major party, the Republicans can return to the limited government beliefs that the Libertarian Party has never abandoned. President Obama last night simply promised to carry on the Republican legacy of explosive spending and expansive welfare that not only creates a generation of dependents, but also got us into this situation to begin with.

“America is unique in its greatness and the promise it offers it citizens to live their lives as they please, so long as they do no infringe upon the rights of others. The Libertarian Party stands alone as the only party that still believes in the protecting the civil liberties Americans have fought and died to protect, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit that creates prosperity and jobs. The American people agree, and we welcome them to join their friends and neighbors here in ‘the Party of Principle.’”