Three More GOP Politicians Use the Widely Debunked $1,800 Energy Tax Lie
Three more Republican politicians have now used the heavily discredited and factually incorrect $1,761 figure as a per-family per-year price tag for cap and trade legislation, bringing the current total to 12.
- John Cornyn issued a press release saying “According to a the Department of Treasury’s analysis, new taxes would be between $100 and $200 billion each year, costing families up to 1,761 each year.” Unlike some of the others, Cornyn didn’t even try to hide his source. He linked directly to the conservative blogger who came up with the $1,761 figure. He attributes the figure to the Treasury Department — which is false.
- According to user casinclair on Twitter, Sarah Palin repeated the lie at her speech in Hong Kong yesterday. I’m assuming this is paraphrased, and am trying to find a full transcript: “Cap and tax (trade) will cause unemployment. Say it will cost $1800 per Americans and cause no change.”
- Republican Senate Candidate Scott Brown said yesterday: “They want a “yes” vote on cap and trade, even if it will raise energy costs on the average family in this country by $1,761 a year.”
Finally, this is not a new addition to the list, but according to Media Matters, House Minority Leader John Boehner repeated the lie for the third time yesterday:
Responding to President Obama’s climate change speech on September 22, 2009, House Minority Leader John Boehner cited a cap-and-trade cost estimate snatched from documents analyzing a cost-estimate of an out-dated, abandoned cap-and-trade plan that immediately auctioned 100% of carbon allowances.
If you are aware of or come across additional examples of politicians — Republicans or Democrats — repeating some variation of this lie, please let me know.



