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I am a strong supporter of environmental stewardship, but the benefits of the Democrat's Cap and Trade plan are too low and the costs to Americans too high.

Cap and trade is one way to attempt to manage pollution - most notably carbon dioxide.  In its current form the Democrats want to force companies who emit pollution to buy permits to release more pollution than what they are allotted.  Those who emit less can sell their unused allotment to others who emit more.  Cap-and-trade has been tried in Europe, and has had no affect whatsoever on CO2 emissions, but it has had a harmful effect on the economy. 

The Democrats are asking consumers to pick up the tab for the cost of their bill.  It's been estimated that the current cap and trade proposal will raise a single household's energy bill by 77 to 129 percent.  That means if you're energy bill is $160 a month, under this bill, it could soar to $390 per month.  It will increase gas prices, food prices, consumer product prices, and the cost of government. 

Even President Obama Admitted "electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket" under his cap-and-trade program (January 2008).  Anyone using a car, public transportation, electricity or any product that involves creating CO2 would face higher prices.  Under this plan families can expect to pay an additional $3,000 in energy costs per year.

The additional costs the Democrats are asking to taxpayers to bear is all done to affect one one-hundredth of a degree in global warming.  Again, the benefits of the Democrat's cap and trade plan are too low and the costs to Americans too high.

We need meaningful solutions, which is why I am a sponsor of the American Energy Act.  This bill will increase American energy production made by American workers, encourage greater efficiency and conservation, and promote the use of clean, alternative fuels. 

Kerry/Lieberman Cap and Trade Bill: Bad For America

Recently, Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman unveiled their version of the House’s cap and trade bill, which passed the House by a slim margin last June. Despite a few notable improvements – the Senate version streamlines the permitting process for nuclear power generation, and would allow for additional domestic oil exploration – this bill inflicts the same sort of damage on the U.S. economy and American taxpayer as the House passed cap and trade bill. Detailed below are some of its more problematic features:

•Rolls Back the Clock: Kerry/Lieberman requires that we lower carbon emission levels by 80 percent by 2050, a level unattainable without a dramatic scale back of the U.S. economy. How dramatic would this scale back be? The last time carbon emissions were as low as Kerry/Lieberman mandates, the year was 1875. To put things in perspective, our economy was 97 times smaller than it is today.

•Destroys Jobs: Kerry/Lieberman will destroy jobs. A Heritage Foundation study of cap and trade found that passage of such a bill would result in net job losses of 1.9 million by 2012. Manufacturing sectors would be especially hard hit, shedding 400,000 jobs between 2012 and 2035. Additional studies found that our economy would take a serious hit – a total loss of $5.2 trillion from 2012-2035 – if a cap and trade system were passed. If Kerry/Lieberman is passed, we can expect a stagnated economy and job destruction.

•Raises Your Bill: Kerry/Lieberman will raise your energy bill. Because the sources of energy that this cap and trade bill mandates be used are significantly less efficient than the fossil fuels they’ll be replacing, Americans can expect to be hit each month by an inflated energy bill. According to a recent Renewable Energy Standard study carried out by the Heritage Foundation, a typical family of four can expect to see their electricity bills jump by $2,400 a year.

Even the authors of the bill have backed away from claims that this is a climate change bill. As Senator Kerry recently said of his cap and trade legislation: "What we are talking about is a jobs bill. It is not a climate bill." Unfortunately, it’s neither; it’s a tax on the American people and a burden on the U.S. economy.

As you know, the U.S. housing market is experiencing its worst decline in decades. Millions of mortgages continue to spike from their introductory "teaser" rates to rates less appealing. With the nationwide drop in housing prices, many homeowners find themselves owing more than their home is worth leading to additional foreclosures.

It is in the best interest of the broader economy to stem the tide of foreclosures. In August of 2007, the Hope Now Alliance was established to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. This program is bringing together private companies involved in the current mortgage turmoil to develop a solution that does not reward risky behavior but has the ability to slow down the number of foreclosures. To date, over 2.7 million loans have been restructured through the Hope Now Alliance. These workouts allow the borrowers to stay in the home and help ease the burden these pending foreclosures have had on our economy.

Additionally, six of the largest mortgage servicers in the United States announced Project Lifeline, a targeted outreach to homeowners' 90-days or more delinquent that may lead to a pause in the foreclosure process. This voluntary initiative is intended to reach not only subprime borrowers, but all 90-day delinquent homeowners nationwide with a step-by-step approach to find individual solutions to individual problems.

While these agreements are a step in the right direction, communication is essential. If you are facing a potential foreclosure, it is important to learn about all of the options that are available to you. By calling the Hope Now Alliance (888-995-HOPE), you can receive free confidential counseling about your particular housing concerns from a professional. This 24-hour hotline can provide you with information about Hope Now, Project Lifeline and other available options.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has several programs designed to promote homeownership and avoid foreclosures. This includes the HOPE for Homeowners program that will refinance mortgages for borrowers who are having difficulty making their payments, but can afford a new loan insured by HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA). You can reach HUD to get more information on their homeowner assistance programs by visiting their website at www.hud.gov or by calling 800-569-4287.

As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, I believe that when it comes to immigration policy, national security should be our main priority. This is why I am focused on a sound border enforcement plan.

I have held hearings to discuss the problem of our porous borders. During a hearing, "Checking Terrorism at the Border," Members heard that terrorists had defrauded America's border security and immigration system, including many since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. One of the witnesses, an individual experienced as a top security official in the immigration field, told Members in frank terms that top immigration officials aren't taking seriously their responsibility to counter terrorism. The USCIS, the agency that establishes the immigration status of millions of applicants yearly, remains deeply flawed, which a Government Accountability Office report highlighted.

Knowing of the border vulnerabilities America faces I cosponsored the Secure Fence Act, and strongly supported it when it passed by overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate. The Secure Fence Act requires double fencing and puts a fence where it is needed most -- in areas that have the highest instances of drug smuggling, human smuggling, and gang activity. However, the omnibus spending bill, passed in December 2007, removes the two-tier requirement and the list of locations. The omnibus also puts up numerous bureaucratic and legal hurdles to undermine the fences completion. I voted against the omnibus bill.

I cosponsored the Fence By Date Certain Act which would largely reinstate language included in the Secure Fence Act. The Fence By Date Certain Act would repeal the omnibus language, reinstate provisions of the Secure Fence Act which required 700 miles of double-layered fencing at specific locations along the border, authorize full funding, and require the fence to be built by June 30, 2009.

I am an original cosponsor of the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act. This bill will secure America's borders, implement mandatory work authorization verification, and reduce illegal immigration through interior enforcement. This legislation provides the tools and resources necessary to enforce immigration laws.

It requires all employers to verify employee's eligibility to work and sanctions them if they do not do so. It requires mandatory notification of Social Security number mismatches and multiple uses and makes the Department of Homeland Security assess the maximum allowable penalties on employers.

This legislation provides the tools and resources necessary to enforce immigration laws. We must begin to restore the integrity of our nation's borders and reestablish respect for our immigration laws.

To view of a list of immigration related legislation I've cosponsored please, click here.

Problems in our health care system need addressing. But adding more government into a system already dominated by red tape and bloated bureaucracies is not the answer. We are faced with trillion dollar deficits for years to come. Now is not the time to pile on a $2 trillion entitlement.

Instead of empowering bureaucrats, we should empower doctors and patients through market-based changes to our existing system that will enhance consumer choice and encourage greater competition.

Speaker Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid’s government takeover of healthcare imposes a new tax on business, which will destroy current and new jobs during a time when millions of Americans are already unemployed.

Congress should have focused on alternatives that actually lower costs and avoid putting our country on a path toward bankruptcy. I support three simple, low cost solutions to reform our health care system. Any reform effort must include tort reform to rein in junk lawsuits that make the cost of healthcare skyrocket. I want to allow small businesses and individuals to purchase health care across state lines and access one broad national market. Small businesses should be allowed to band together to purchase health care for their employees at a more affordable price, just as large corporations and unions do.