FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 18, 2009
Contact: Jeff Crank (719) 332-8644 or Phil Kerpen (202) 349-5880

DENVER—The Colorado chapter of the grassroots freemarket organization Americans for Prosperity (AFP-CO) was pleased to note that former U.S. Senator from Colorado Timothy Wirth has come out in opposition to the current cap-and-trade proposal. Wirth, an architect of Clinton Era climate change efforts, said the Waxman-Markey energy bill that recently passed the U.S. House is “a cap-and-tax bill” and that the legislation has “gotten out of control.”

“You know that this is a bad bill when even former Democratic lawmakers who are staunch supporters of global warming legislation are opposing the current scheme,” said AFP-CO State Director Jeff Crank. “It’s good to hear people telling the truth about what this bill really is. We all know it’s not an environmental bill; it’s about growing government. We can only hope that Senators Udall and Bennet will heed this wisdom and oppose the bill.”

Wirth’s comments add to the growing chorus of Democratic voices urging the current proposal be shelved. Senator Blanche Lincoln said that she sees cap-and-trade being “a real problem.” And Senators Ben Nelson, Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan have all said they believe the scheme should not be pushed any further this year.

Wirth went on to say that climate change legislation should be focused on utilities and not be used as a “revenue raiser,” which he said would become “a narcotic for aging power plants.” The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has scored Waxman-Markey as an $864 billion increase in federal revenue.

AFP has been sounding the alarm on Democratic efforts to use climate change as an excuse to grow government. The group has been collecting signatures for its “No Climate Tax” pledge, which states signers will “oppose any legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.” 238 lawmakers have signed, including Coloradans U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn; State Sens. Dave Schultheis and Shawn Mitchell (23rd Dist.); and State Reps. Marsha Looper and Don Marostica.

“We are proud to have so many lawmakers on the federal, state and local levels pledging not to use global warming as a guise to grow government,” said Crank. “This should be common ground for all of our elected officials at all levels of government.”