U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) on Sept. 26 offered bipartisan legislation to eliminate certain fuel excise taxes and impose a tax on greenhouse gas emissions that would provide revenue for maintaining and building America’s infrastructure in efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“With the American public overwhelmingly seeking fixes to our crumbling roads and bridges while searching for solutions to mitigate the dangerous effects of climate change, our bipartisan bill is a dynamic solution that seeks to tackle both problems,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “It doesn’t have to be a tough choice.”
Rep. Fitzpatrick sponsored the Market Choice Act, H.R. 4520, with lead cosponsor U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), to combat climate change by eliminating the gas tax and implementing the carbon emissions fee, in turn creating revenue that would fund infrastructure maintenance and construction, according to the congressman’s statement.
H.R. 4520, which has been referred to seven committees in the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration, has garnered support from several national organizations, including the Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, the National Audubon Society, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the National Wildlife Federation, the Climate Leadership Council, and the Evangelical Environmental Network.
“We cannot afford to wait for an ideal solution when a warming climate is actively threatening all living things,” said David Yarnold, president and CEO of the National Audubon Society. “This is common-sense, bipartisan legislation that is stronger than its predecessor bill from last year, and we support this as a much-needed step forward.”
Shannon Heyck-Williams, director of climate and energy policy at the National Wildlife Federation, applauded Rep. Fitzpatrick and his colleagues “for their bold leadership putting forth a bipartisan climate plan that harnesses market forces to rapidly and responsibly reduce carbon pollution.”
“We are at a crossroads with regard to infrastructure and climate change,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “Legislative action taken — or not taken — by this Congress on these issues will be felt for generations.”