Who could possibly imagine that in our wildest dreams three Republican Representatives and three Democratic Representatives in our Congress would get together and introduce a bill, any bill, let alone this bill!  It’s called the Energy Innovation and Climate Dividend Act (HR 7173); a bill that will slow climate change, put cash in peoples’ pockets and grow jobs.  And what a miracle that they did!

Sponsored by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL), Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) and Rep. David Trott (R-MI), the bill offers a climate solution that goes further than any national policy to date, creating over two million new jobs, lowering health care costs, promoting energy innovation, and encouraging consumer spending.

It does so by applying a nationwide price on carbon emissions and returning all the money to American households in a monthly cash dividend. This approach is a climate change solution long advocated by both economists and climate scientists as the simplest, most effective approach to solving climate change. This bill seeks to lower carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent in the first 12 years.

Now it’s up to all of us! Call Representative Chellie Pingree and ask her to support this bill.  Call your Senators King and Collins and ask them to introduce a similar bill in the Senate.

Let’s get the job done. As time goes by, the present and future costs to each of us, our children and our communities are rising fast!