House Dems, swimming upstream, push carbon tax

“We have a moral obligation to act to prevent catastrophic climate change and preserve our planet for future generations,” said Stark, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, in a statement. “The Save Our Climate Act is a first step toward meeting that obligation and creating a sensible tax code that incentivizes innovation, reduces the deficit and protects families from rising energy costs.”

Co-sponsors include Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Jim Moran (D-Va.), Bob Filner (D-Calif.) and five others.

The bill drew cheers from groups that promote carbon taxes.

“We’re running out of time to wean our nation off the fossil fuels that are heating up the planet,” said Citizens Climate Lobby Executive Director Mark Reynolds in a statement. “We need to put a price on carbon that shifts energy usage to clean sources, and that’s what Congressman Stark’s bill does.”