Delaney Statement on the Release of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change Report

Dec 17, 2015
Press Release

WASHINGTON - On Wednesday the Maryland Commission on Climate Change called for the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 2006 by 2030. The Maryland Commission on Climate Change (MCCC) was first established in 2007. It is a bipartisan group of business, environmental, labor, and government officials. A 2015 law requires the MCCC to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the status of Maryland’s efforts to reduce climate change and on any recommendations.

Congressman Delaney issued the following statement:

“The new report from the bipartisan Maryland Commission on Climate Change reaffirms the need for action and the dire consequences if we fail to properly address climate change,” said Congressman Delaney. “I’ve worked on the federal level to tackle this problem by authoring a comprehensive plan to accurately price greenhouse gas emissions. I urge Governor Hogan to take this new report seriously and position Maryland to be a leader in green energy innovation and the job-creation that comes with this kind of investment.”

The Tax Pollution, Not Profits Act

Establishes a federal tax on carbon pollution

  • Places a tax on Green House Gas (GHG) emissions at $30 per metric ton of carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide equivalent in 2015, increasing each subsequent year at 4% above inflation.
  • New carbon tax uses market forces and private sector innovation to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Businesses benefit from predictable, market-driven approach.

Lowers the corporate tax rate and returns revenues to the economy

  • The legislation reduces the corporate tax rate from 35% to 28%, helping companies mitigate higher energy costs and, importantly, makes U.S. companies more competitive.
  • Increasing U.S. economic competitiveness in a global economy will lead to gains in job creation, economic growth and increased domestic investment.

Helps Impacted Coal Industry Workers

  • Creates a new multi-billion dollar aid program administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) to assist workers in the coal industry that may be displaced as a result of the legislation.
  • The assistance can include: worker retraining programs, financial assistance with relocation expenses, health care, early retirement and other benefits.
  • There is precedent for the DOL to administer this kind of program. Since 1973 the Department of Labor has administered benefits to coal miners and their survivors impacted by black lung disease.

Protects middle class and working families with an Energy Refund

  • To ensure that low and middle-income households are not negatively impacted by the costs of transitioning to new energy sources, a portion of the revenues collected from the pollution tax will be redirected to low-income and middle-class working families via an Energy Refund.
  • Households at or below 150% of the federal poverty line will receive direct monthly payments to fully offset increased energy costs.
  • Households between 150-200% of the federal poverty line will receive a reduced monthly payment on a sliding scale. Households over 200% poverty level will be eligible for a refundable tax credit, with benefits also on a sliding scale.

 

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