06 Jun 2008 Senator Dole Out of Step with North Carolinians, Poll Shows

Dole Co-Sponsored Lieberman-Warner Global Warming Bill Rejected by Overwhelming Majority in Region

Washington, DC – Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), as a co-sponsor of the America’s Climate Security Act presently scheduled for a key Senate vote at 9 AM Friday, is out of step with a majority of North Carolinians, according to a new poll released by the National Center for Public Policy Research.

The survey found 64% of likely voters in Outer South states (North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee) oppose spending more for gasoline to reduce U.S. emissions. 74% of likely voters from the region oppose spending more for electricity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Econometric studies conducted by researchers at Duke University, MIT, the EPA, the National Association of Manufacturers and others have different estimates of the cost of the America’s Climate Security Act, but they all agree it would increase energy costs,” said David A. Ridenour, vice president of the National Center for Public Policy Research.  “North Carolinians don’t support further price increases of any kind in either gasoline or electricity.  By co-sponsoring this bill, Senator Dole is acting directly contrary to the wishes of her constituents.”

The America’s Climate Security Act (S. 3036) — also called “Lieberman-Warner” after chief sponsors Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner (R-VA) — would place strict caps on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that power plants, fuel refiners and producers, chemical producers and other manufacturers may release into the atmosphere.  The proposal — frequently referred to as a “cap-and-trade” plan — would also establish an emissions trading system that would permit companies that emit fewer greenhouse gases than they are allowed to sell the excess portion to companies exceeding their allowances.  The Act’s sponsors claim the bill would reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions up to 63% by 2050.

“The Lieberman-Warner bill would ration power, raise the cost of energy and consumer goods, and effectively impose the largest tax increase in history on the American people,” said Ridenour.  “Americas are already struggling with rising costs.  The least their elected representative can do is not make matters worse.”

Senator Dole explained her support, saying, “This is not a perfect bill, but I believe its fundamental approach — providing a market driven system — is the right way to address climate change.”

“Senator Dole is right that this bill isn’t perfect, but wrong about everything else,” said Ridenour.  “Markets aren’t created by Washington, but created by free people exercising free choices.  Lieberman-Warner isn’t the right way to do anything but grow the power and scope of the federal government.  Even if its targets for reducing greenhouse emission could be met — and they can’t — any reductions in global temperatures would be imperceptible.”

The poll questions and cross-tabs are available at www.nationalcenter.org.

The National Center is a non-partisan educational foundation based in Washington, DC established in 1982.  It is a truly independent foundation, with approximately 99% of its funding coming from some 72,000 active donors.

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For more specific information about the poll: The text of the questions asked in the poll can be found here (pdf). The cross-tabs can be found here (pdf).