Cement Tax

The U.S. Senate-bound American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (note Editorial, page 4) establishes a cap-and-trade system to limit carbon dioxide

CP Staff

The U.S. Senate-bound American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (note Editorial) establishes a cap-and-trade system to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, cement producers and other industrial sources that rely on fossil fuel combustion. Targeted emissions reductions assure steep cement price increases.

The late-June passage of the Act in the House drew sharp criticism from industry. Democratic leaders managed to squeeze the 1,510-page energy-rationing bill through the House, noted Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Myron Ebell. Once people find out what’s in it, the bill will become an embarrassment to everyone who voted for it÷ I congratulate Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) for their magnificent leadership against the bill.

Rep. Barton’s 6th Congressional District encompasses Midlothian, where Ash Grove Texas, Holcim (US) Inc. and TXI operations make up one of the country’s largest cement milling centers. A Concrete Products and Cement Americas analysis of voting reveals that representatives with cement interests in their district voted against the Act by a 2-to-1 margin. While most House members voted along party lines, a great number of the 44 Democrats who voted against the act have cement properties in their district. None of the eight Republicans supporting the Act represent districts with cement mills.

WAXMAN-MARKEY CLEAN ENERGY ACT – VOTES BY REPRESENTATIVES OF CEMENT-PRODUCING DISTRICTS

Representative Yea Nay Plant, city
Artur Davis (D-AL) X Cemex, Demopolis
Jo Bonner (R-AL) X Holcim, Theodore
Spencer Bachus (R-AL) X Lafarge Roberta, Calera
Lehigh, Leeds
Mike Rogers (R-AL) X National, Ragland
Mike Ross (D-AR) X Ash Grove, Foreman
Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) X California Portland, Rillito
Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) X Salt River, Clarkdale
Joe Baca (D-CA) X California Portland, Colton
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) X California Portland, Mojave
Lehigh, Tehachapi
Anna Eshoo (D-CA) X Cemex, Davenport
Hanson Permanente, Cupertino
Wally Herger (R-CA) X Lehigh, Redding
Jerry Lewis (R-CA) X Mitsubishi, Lucerne Valley
National, Lebec
Texas Industries, Oro Grande
Ken Calvert (R-CA) X Texas Industries, Riverside
Jared Polis (D-CO) X Cemex, Lyons
Doug Lamborn (R-CO) X Holcim Portland, Florence
John Salazar (D-CO) X GCC Rio Grande, Pueblo
Virginia Brown-Waite (R-FL) X Cemex, Brooksville
Cemex, Brooksville South
Kendrick Meek (D-FL) X Cemex, Miami
Titan Florida, Medley
Allen Boyd (D-FL) X Suwannee American, Branford
Cliff Stearns (R-FL) X Vulcan Materials, Newberry
Jack Kingston (R-GA) X Cemex, Clinchfield
Mike Simpson (R-ID) X Ash Grove, Inkom
Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) X Buzzi Unicem, Greencastle
Joe Donnelly (D-IN) X Essroc, Logansport
Baron Hill (D-IN) X Essroc, Speed
Steve Buyer (R-IN) X Lehigh, Mitchell
Debbie Halvorsen (D-IL) X Buzzi Unicem, Olgesby
Illinois Cement, LaSalle
Bill Foster (D-IL) X St. Marys, Dixon
Tom Latham (R-IA) X Holcim, Mason City
Lehigh, Mason City
Bruce Braley (D-IA) X Lafarge, Davenport
Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) X Ash Grove, Chanute
Lafarge, Fredonia
Monarch, Humboldt
John Yarmuth (D-KY) X Cemex/Buzzi Unicem, Louisville
Chellie Pingree (D-ME) X Giant, Thomaston
Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) X Essroc, Frederick
Holcim, Hagerstown
Lehigh, Union Bridge
John Dingell (D-MI) X Holcim, Dundee
Bart Stupak (D-MI) X Lafarge, Alpena
St. Marys, Charlevoix
Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) X Buzzi Unicem, Cape Girardeau
Russ Carnahan (D-MO) X Buzzi Unicem, Festus
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) X Lafarge, Sugar Creek
Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) X Continental, Hannibal
Holcim, Clarksville
Travis Childers (D-MS) X Holcim, Artesia
Dennis Rehberg (R-MT) X Ash Grove, Clancy
Holcim Trident, Three Forks
Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) X Ash Grove, Louisville
Dean Heller (R-NV) X Nevada, Fernley
Dina Titus (D-NV) X Royal, Logandale
Martin Heinrich (D-NM) X GCC Rio Grande, Tijeras
Scott Murphy (D-NY) X Holcim, Catskill
Lehigh, Glens Falls
Paul Tonko (D-NY) X Lafarge, Ravena
Steve Austria (R-OH) X Cemex Fairborn, Xenia
Robert Latta (R-OH) X Lafarge, Paulding
Dan Boren (D-OK) X Buzzi Unicem, Pryor
John Sullivan (R-OK) [no vote] Lafarge, Tulsa
Tom Cole (R-OK) X Holcim, Ada
Greg Walden (R-OR) X Ash Grove, Durkee
John Murtha (D-PA) X Armstrong, Cabot
Charles Dent (R-PA) X Buzzi Unicem, Stockertown
Essroc, Nazareth
Giant-Keystone, Bath
Lafarge, Whitehall
Jason Altmire (D-PA) X Essroc, Bessemer Cemex, Wampum
Tim Holden (D-PA) X Lehigh Evansville, Fleetwood
Todd Platts (R-PA) X Lehigh White, York
James Clyburn (D-SC) X Giant, Harleyville
Lafarge, Harleyville
Holcim, Holly Hill
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) X GCC Dacotah, Rapid City
Zach Wamp (R-TN) X Buzzi Unicem, Chattanooga
John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN) X Cemex, Knoxville
Charles A. Gonzalez (D-TX) X Alamo, San Antonio
Capitol Aggregates, San Antonio
Joe Barton (R-TX) X Ash Grove Texas, Midlothian
Holcim, Midlothian
Texas Industries, Midlothian
Michael Conaway (R-TX) X Cemex, Odessa
Lamar Smit (R-TX) X Cemex Balcones, New Braunfels
Texas Ind., Hunter Cement,
New Braunfels
Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) X Buzzi Unicem, Maryneal
Chet Edwards (D-TX) X Lehigh White, Waco
Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) X Texas Lehigh, Buda
Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) X Ash Grove Leamington, Nephi
Rob Bishop (R-UT) X Holcim Devil’s Slide, Morgan
Robert C. Scott (D-VA) X Kerneos, Norfolk
Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) X Roanoke, Troutville
Frank Wolf (R-VA) X Riverton, Front Royal
Jim McDermott (D-WA) X Lafarge, Seattle
Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) X Essroc, Martinsburg
Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) X Mountain, Laramie

* Environmental Protection Agency estimates as cited by Harvard Professor Martin Feldstein