Support in Congress
The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act
In 2020 the Carbon Cash-Back bill in Congress attracted 87 bipartisan cosponsors, including New Hampshire's District 02 Representative Annie Kuster. It has been re-introduced as HR2307 in 2021 with Representative Kuster again a vocal supporter and co-sponsor. She knows how good this solution will be for New Hampshire families and businesses.
The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act Co-sponsors
Does the Senate support carbon pricing?
Yes, members of both parties in the Senate are meeting together in the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and discussing solutions that both parties can support. Here's what some of them are saying...
Senator Coons [D, DE]
[8:21] "If we place a price on carbon and then let the market work, we will create jobs across a wide range of industries, locations, and geographies."
Senator Coons co-sponsored the bipartisan Energy Innovation Act in 2018 with Senator Flake [R, AZ], who has since retired. Coons is now waiting for a new Republican to join him to re-introduce the bill with bipartisan co-sponsors this session of Congress.
Senator Romney [R, UT]
[15:04] "I'm very open to a carbon tax, carbon dividend, where there's a tax on oil companies and coal companies and so forth, and that the funds that are raised then go to individual tax payers so that they can meet the costs of the higher price of energy. The reason I'm focused on that potential program is because I want to encourage enterprises in America to find ways to do what they are doing using less energy and to have less emissions."
Senator Whitehouse [D, RI]
[32:11] "I think it's got a very good chance"
Senator Murkowski [R, AK]
[1:35] "If there is a price, how you can rebate that to individuals"
Senator Lindsey Graham [R, SC]
[1:16:27] On a carbon tax: "What you do with the money is really important. If you rebate it to consumer it lessens some of the fears people have about increased cost at the gas tank, increased heating, running your business."
[1:17:54] "What can we do on the production side, energy efficiency side, to lead the world.... to make money in a lower carbon economy"
[1:18:29] From my point of view it's inevitable that we're going to a low-carbon economy, and that's a good thing."
Senator Bill Cassidy [R, LA]
And some understand the competitive advantage and ability to hold other countries accountable for their pollution with the associated Border Carbon Adjustments we can do when we price carbon emissions in the US economy.
[6:50] "We've got to flip it, so that countries are incented to lower emissions, not to ignore emissions. BTW, I've been advocating for a Border Carbon Adjustment... that flips it."