WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- Rep. John Dingell plans to introduce a bill that would impose a stiff tax on burning oil, gas and coal, a measure most Democrats are likely to oppose.
The Michigan Democrat, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced the proposal in an interview to be broadcast Sunday on C-Span, The New York Times reported. He suggested U.S. taxpayers are unwilling to pay the true cost of measures to reduce global warning.
"I sincerely doubt that the American people will be willing to pay what this is really going to cost them," Dingell said. "I will be introducing in the next little bit a carbon tax bill, just to sort of see how people think about this. When you see the criticism I get, I think you'll see the answer to your question."
Most Democratic legislators favor a cap-and-trade system to cut emissions of greenhouse gases.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton introduced a proposal for a BTU tax, which passed the House and failed in the Senate. Most Democrats believe the bill helped them lose the House in 1994.
