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PRESS RELEASE FROM AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM
Contact: John Kartch ( jkartch@atr.org or 202-785-0266)

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Americans for Tax Reform Laments Recent Energy Legislation
H.R. 3221, Nothing More Than a Burden on the Consumer

Washington, DC- Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), President Grover Norquist condemned the recent string of “fiscally irresponsible” energy legislation to come out of Congress.

“Make no mistake,” says Norquist, “H.R. 3221 will raise taxes, reduce energy supplies and make prices of fuel and appliances sky-rocket under this egregious legislation. Energy legislation that attempts to define and control the market opens the Pandora’s Box of liberal command-and-control policies.”

H.R. 3221, by restricting offshore and onshore leases for oil production on federal lands, is crippling an industry that provides 2 million jobs to hard-working Americans.

In addition, by mandating every utility in each state to have a percentage of its electricity come from a narrowly defined list of politically correct renewable energy sources, regardless if the state possesses the resources or not, H.R. 3221 will result in nothing more than a massive excise tax on rate paying consumers in states that cannot meet this standard.

“H.R. 3221 is right in line with other so-called ‘energy measures’ such as H.R. 1252, H.R. 6 and S. 1419 – all of which limit consumer choice and increase government regulation.” Norquist adds, “Specifically, the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) mandate that knowingly mandates unrealistic standards that states simply cannot meet; increases in auto-makers fuel standards that threaten jobs and hurt the economy; and Title VII of H.R. 3221 punishes exploration and production of energy on federal lands.”

“How does Congress think that these regressive and economically restrictive measures will perpetuate America’s energy independence?” asks Norquist.

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Americans for Tax Reform is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups who oppose any and all federal and state tax increases.  For more information, or to arrange an interview with Mr. Norquist please contact John Kartch at (202)785-0266 or by email at jkartch@atr.org.