Full Title: Attaching a Price to Greenhouse Gas Emissions with a Carbon Tax or Emissions Fee: Considerations and Potential Impacts
Author(s): Jonathan L. Ramseur and Jane A. Leggett
Publisher(s): Congressional Research Service
Publication Date: March 1, 2019
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The U.S. Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018, concluded that “the impacts of
global climate change are already being felt in the United States and are projected to intensify in
the future—but the severity of future impacts will depend largely on actions taken to reduce
greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions and to adapt to the changes that will occur.” Members of
Congress and stakeholders articulate a wide range of perspectives over what to do, if anything,
about GHG emissions, future climate change, and related impacts. If Congress were to consider
establishing a program to reduce GHG emissions, one option would be to attach a price to GHG
emissions with a carbon tax or GHG emissions fee. In the 115th Congress, Members introduced
nine bills to establish a carbon tax or emissions fee program. However, many Members have expressed their opposition to such an approach. In particular, in the 115th Congress, the House passed a resolution “expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy.”