Thomas J. Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance (AEA), issued the following statement:

“From the gasoline that fuels our freedom of movement, to the coal that powers our businesses, to the natural gas used to heat and cool our homes, energy is the foundation of our economy. It’s everywhere you look, it’s in every product you purchase and consume, and it generates millions of good-paying jobs. Unfortunately, the Energy Committee today effectively voted today to ship these jobs overseas, and fundamentally alter the American way of life.

“This is no movie folks. These are real jobs and real people. Coal miners in Pittsburgh, farmers in the heartland, and engineers and scientists in the labs – all make their living through available, affordable, and efficient forms of energy. If this legislation is enacted, many of these individuals will be end up unemployed and their industry shipped overseas. The Chairman may have bought off enough of his fellow lawmakers to get this legislation out of his committee, but on cap-and-trade, he’ll find the American people aren’t as cheap a date.

“Make no mistake, this bill puts the government in the driver’s seat and tells U.S. citizens to sit in the back seat, keep quiet, and accept the government’s control of the direction their lives will take. Its intrusion into the lives of the all Americans is breathtaking – and in the words of its supporters, transformational. Americans who value a high quality of life and liberty, and want the same for their children and grandchildren, will not like this transformation.”

The American Energy Alliance (AEA) is a not-for-profit organization that engages in public policy advocacy and debate surrounding the function, operation, and government regulation of global energy markets. AEA, an affiliate of the Institute for Energy Research, works to educate and mobilize citizens around the idea that freely-functioning energy markets provide the most efficient and effective solutions to today’s global energy and environmental challenges.

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