Coalition of 60 Groups Call for a Revised ‘Gang of Ten’ Energy Compromise

    Tax Increases, Limited Drilling, & More Have Outside Groups Worried



    WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 /EMWNews/ -- This morning, Americans

for Tax Reform (ATR) released a letter signed by 60 national and state

advocacy organizations, think-tanks and others calling for the "Gang of

Ten" Senators to revise their energy compromise by removing "potentially

fatal flaws."



    In order to pay for the $84 billion energy plan, these 10 Senators are

calling for the repeal of the domestic production activities deduction

(Section 199) - but only for energy companies. "This is a tax on energy

production that will raise the price of oil for all Americans at a time

when they can least afford it," says Grover Norquist, President of ATR.



    "Republicans that vote for tax increases like this are rat heads in

Coke bottles," says Norquist. "They ruin the brand for all other members

and undermine the current efforts in the House to bring Pelosi back and

vote on drilling -- which will actually help."



    The large coalition argues there are additional fundamental problems

with the "Gang of Ten's" energy compromise. "Their plan not only raises

taxes, but it only allows four states to opt-in to a government run

drilling program in the Continental Shelf, has no mention of ANWR or shale

oil, and places choke-hold restrictions on auto-manufacturers that they

realistically cannot meet," Norquist adds.



    Much focus has been on drilling and the expiration of the moratorium on

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) drilling that is set to expire on October

1st, 2008. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) have

been circulating a petition to their colleagues urging them to let this ban

expire; dubbing October 1st "American Energy Independence Day." Grover

Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform are urging Members of Congress to

sign on to the petition.



    The coalition includes: Alliance for Worker Freedom, American

Conservative Union, American Legislative Exchange Counsel, American

Property Coalition, Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Prosperity of

Colorado and North Dakota, Americans for the Preservation of Liberty,

Americans for Tax Reform, American Shareholders Association, Asora, Caesar

Rodney Institute, Center for Fiscal Accountability, Center for Individual

Freedom, Citizen Outreach, Citizens Alliance for Responsible Energy,

Citizens for Limited Taxation, Clean Oceans Technology Coalition, Club for

Growth, Coalition for a Conservative Majority, Competitive Enterprise

Institute, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Freedom

Foundation of Minnesota, FreedomWorks, Frontiers of Freedom, Grassroot

Institute of Hawaii, Illinois Policy Institute, Institute for Global

Economic Growth, Institute for Liberty, Let Freedom Ring, Lincoln Institute

of Public Opinion Research Inc., Mississippi Center for Public Policy,

National Legal and Policy Center, National Taxpayers Union, Ocean State

Policy Research Institute, Property Rights Alliance, RedState.com,

RepublicanPac.com, RightMarch.com, Rio Grande Foundation, Rule of Law

Committee, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, Small Business

Hawaii, Taxpayer Association of Oregon, Taxpayers League of Minnesota,

Texas Eagle Forum, The James Madison Institute, National Center for Public

Policy Research, Tradition, Family, Property, Inc., Utah Grass Roots, 60

Plus Association and DontGoMovement.com.



    To schedule an interview with Grover Norquist, contact John Kartch at

202-785-0266 or [email protected]



    Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers

and taxpayer groups who oppose all federal, state and local tax increases.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact John Kartch

at (202) 785-0266 or at [email protected]