By Staff
Jo Bonner
U.S. House of Representatives
We are in the midst of the worst economic recession in a generation, nearly 3 million jobs have been lost since January and the national unemployment rate closing in on 10 percent.
Yet, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership last week pushed H.R. 2454, the “cap and trade” bill, through the House.  Experts agree this so-called “energy plan” will cause electricity rates and gas prices to skyrocket, costing every American family in the thousands of dollars a year, in the form of higher costs for energy and for any other good produced from the use of energy.
According to the National Black Chamber of Commerce Study, this bill will cost 2.5 million American jobs due to the higher energy costs it will force consumers, small businesses and other employers to pay. 
H.R. 2454 would require all carbon emitters, including domestic oil refineries, to purchase allowances for every ton of carbon emitted – the cost of which would be passed on to the consumer.
According to the American Petroleum Institute, the cost increase (H.R. 2454) could be as much as 77 cents per gallon for gasoline, 83 cents per gallon of jet fuel, and 88 cents per gallon for diesel fuel.”
The Heritage Foundation estimated that as a result of these increased prices, the average household would cut consumption of gasoline by 15 percent, while forcing a family of four to pay $596 more in 2035, and $8,000 more between 2012 and 2035.
Friends, an increase in fuel costs would result in an increase in air travel and cargo costs as well as have a significant impact on the U.S. trucking industry.
The trucking industry alone has more than 600,000 vehicles on the road, employs nine million people, and transports 11 billion tons of freight annually across the nation, while contributing less than six percent of total U.S. carbon emissions.
This bill, which has been touted as a necessary means to stop global warming, is anticipated to slow temperature increases by merely hundredths of a single degree Fahrenheit by the year 2050, and no more than two tenths of a degree by the end of the century, according to a climate modeling study by Chip Knappenberger of the World Climate Report.
Incredibly, this bill has even more serious ramifications that will affect all Americans.
It would dramatically increase new home costs by mandating California’s expensive new building codes for the entire nation.  Immediately upon enactment, the Democrats’ bill would demand a 30 percent increase in energy efficiency for new construction.  A couple of years later, it would require an additional 50 percent improvement. 
Homebuilders would also face serious consequences.  The Democrats’ bill imposes new mandatory regulations and civil penalties for homebuilders.  If a state refuses to accept the stringent and costly California building codes, the federal government may assess penalties. 
H.R. 2454 would also require all homes sales to be conditioned upon an energy audit and a new energy rating assessment and energy labeling program for your home.  Homes would be subjected to a new energy rating assessment and energy labeling program that will penalize homeowners for older windows, original fixtures, and dated appliances. 
With so much at stake, House Democrats filed this national energy bill at 3:09 a.m. on the same day the thousand plus page bill was brought up for a vote on the House floor. 
This week, Americans across the country and throughout the world will celebrate the 233rd anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.
The United States is the oldest continuous democratic nation in the world, a distinction well worth a celebration.
Whether you spend this Fourth of July having a picnic, watching a fireworks display, or enjoying the long weekend with family and friends, I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on why this day, Independence Day, is so important to our country.
As President Ronald Reagan wrote in 1981, “Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people.”
As we celebrate this Independence Day, remember the courageous individuals fighting for our freedom. Let us never forget the true meaning of the Fourth of July and the individuals who sacrificed their lives for this great country.
My staff and I work for you.  If we can ever be of service, do not hesitate to call my office toll free at 1-800-288-8721 or visit my website at http://bonner.house.gov.