OPINION:
A week or two ago, it surfaced that a Republican, Sen. Kevin Cramer from North Dakota, had surreptitiously inserted language into an appropriations bill that would require the Department of Energy to lay the foundation for a nationwide tax on carbon dioxide — or, to call a spade a spade, a nationwide energy tax.
The senator was so delighted with his work that he spiked the ball in an interview with Kelsey Brugger at E&E News, but not until after President Trump had signed the legislation into law.
The senator not only managed to compromise just about the entire Republican congressional caucus (almost all of whose members voted for the legislation, unaware that a nascent energy tax was embedded in it), but also compromised Mr. Trump on carbon dioxide taxes. These are, as noted above, a fancy way of saying energy taxes.
Not a particularly good look, given the current affordability craze.
Energy taxes are especially egregious and damaging because their costs flow through and settle on everything that has been made, grown or transported, which, as a practical matter, means everything. Moreover, because there are no substitutes for energy, there is no way to escape the tax. That means energy taxes are among the most regressive.
The kind of tax Mr. Cramer is lining us up for would hit the poor, the elderly, those on fixed incomes, and local institutions with already-tight budgets, such as schools and hospitals, the hardest.
It would be devastating to American families, workers and businesses. It would also be devastating to elected officials who want to stay elected officials. In the 40 years or so that the Democrats have been pitching climate change as an existential threat, they have never been dimwitted enough to allow a straightforward vote on an energy tax.
Mr. Cramer knows all this, which is why he proceeded with great stealth. There is no way congressional Republicans or Mr. Trump would support this legislation if it were subject to the disinfectant of sunshine and public attention.
Even now, despite decades of propaganda, very few Americans are willing to spend anything to address global warming.
The idea that we must somehow match other nations in the reckless, destructive stupidity of a national energy tax has already been shown to be bankrupt.
As recently as four months ago, Team Trump refused to pay a carbon dioxide tax on global shipping. (The president described it as a “scam” tax.) Then, Team Trump threatened to sanction any country that voted for it. That ended the conversation and the threat.
The result would be no different if any nation or group of nations (think the European Union) tries to impose a carbon dioxide tariff (or tax) on goods from the United States.
Does anyone doubt Mr. Trump would win that test of wills?
Obviously, Mr. Cramer does, as does the rest of the Republican energy tax caucus — Sens. John Curtis (who, in all fairness, was the Democratic mayor of Provo, Utah, until about 15 minutes ago), Bill Cassidy (who may soon be a former senator from Louisiana) and Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming.
I’m not sure why these four senators have chosen to use their immense power and influence to impoverish their fellow Americans rather than achieve something worthwhile and helpful. The fact that they kept their actions quiet is an indication that they understand what they are trying to do will be unpopular.
The good news is that the Department of Energy, headed by Secretary Chris Wright, who has been extraordinarily competent and diligent, is now in charge of this particular mess. Let’s hope he and his team can figure out a way to solve this problem.
• Michael McKenna is a contributing editor at The Washington Times.
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