Optimistic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., recently predicted that the upper chamber has the Democrat votes it needs to pass the President's bill with a $20 per-ton carbon tax. Despite that, more moderate Democrats are saying they cannot support that part of the sweeping legislation.
During last week's COP26 climate forum in Glasgow, Scotland, Whitehouse told Forbes that "at least 49 senators" are willing to sign on to the package that includes the carbon tax.
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"At least 49 senators support a proposal to impose an almost $20 per-ton fee on carbon as part of President Joe Biden's climate-and-spending legislation," he offered Forbes last week.
There are currently 48 Democrat senators and two Independents that caucus with the Democrats in the chamber. All of them are required for the evenly split 50-50 Senate, with Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote for the bill to pass.
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However, the Forbes article highlights Moderate Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., who say they are against the tax as one of the funding mechanisms in the bill.
"As a farmer, Sen. Tester supports making common sense investments to combat the impact of climate change on Montana workers and businesses," Sarah Feldman, Sen. Tester's communications director told Forbes, adding, "Sen. Tester has been presented multiple carbon tax proposals and does not support any of them. He remains committed to working with his colleagues to lower costs and cut taxes for working families, while creating good paying jobs and addressing climate change."
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The tax would be placed on companies, charging them for the tons of carbon dioxide they emit into the atmosphere to help reduce greenhouse gas. The tax comes in the wake of climate change and incentivizes companies to move to greener forms of energy.
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Youngkin's victory throws another wrench into the climate activists’ plans for the tax, as it essentially eliminates the commonwealth from entering a regional Transportation & Climate Initiative group with 12 other mid-Atlantic states.
According to the organization, the group would seek to reduce emissions from transportation and develop clean energy technologies, vehicles, and fuels to try and cut back a third of the region's emissions.
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Youngkin campaigned to reduce taxes, like a proposed gas tax in the state, and not get into the group.
According to Columbia, the carbon tax would generate roughly $180 billion per year and help the U.S. reduce emissions 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
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