Dean Heller

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in The Hill. -Staff

Cap and trade equals energy tax. That is why I strongly oppose and voted against H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act. In fact, as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee which has jurisdiction over tax issues, I helped lead the debate in opposition to this bill. This new energy tax will affect every man, woman, and child in our country. Every time you turn on a light, cook your family dinner, or take your kids to school you will be taxed. Air travel, food prices, electricity costs and transportation costs will skyrocket. This tax increase will kill jobs and further damage an already struggling economy. The mining, housing, farming, ranching, and tourism industries will all be devastated at a time when Nevadans are hurting the most.

According to one reliable economic study, Nevada will lose 14,000 jobs under H.R. 2454. Almost half of the job loss will occur in Nevada's Second Congressional District at 5,500 jobs. At a time when Nevadans are dealing with an economic crisis, this sort of legislation and massive tax increase is totally unacceptable, and I opposed and voted against it in defense of our economy.

As someone who grew up enjoying Nevada's outdoors with my family, I understand the desire to protect our environment. I strongly support renewable energy, which has abundant potential in Nevada, and have voted in Congress to support incentives, local projects, and programs to promote renewable energy. I also support commonsense measures to increase energy efficiency, and support developing our own natural resources to help provide for our nation's serious economic need. However, I cannot and will not support massive tax increases on our economy at a time when families across the country are struggling to make ends meet.