In today’s politics, what you see is not always what you get. That is certainly the case with the cleverly titled “PROVE IT Act” (Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency Act). The title is about as accurate as the infamous “Inflation Reduction Act,” which has produced double-digit price increases since its enactment.
The PROVE IT Act is carefully couched as a simple research exercise. Its proponents say they want to measure the carbon footprint of various industries for informational purposes. The reality is that the bill would lay the groundwork for carbon “tariffs” (that means new and costly taxes) that consumers, taxpayers and businesses — in Utah and across the country — will be stuck paying.
Isn’t inflation bad enough? Grocery costs for Utah households average $278 per week, with prices on staples like eggs soaring nationally. For small businesses, higher costs are also eating away at already tight margins, making it more difficult for many to succeed. According to a recent Goldman Sachs survey, over 70% of small businesses say inflationary pressures are only getting worse, and Utah’s small-business community is not immune.
The PROVE IT Act will add to the burden on Utah families and businesses. Pitched as a study on the emissions intensity of various production processes, the legislation would pave the way to one day levy carbon tariffs on imports of everything from steel and cement to fertilizers. It is no secret that this bill is the first step toward these tariffs — many of the bill’s most vocal supporters make clear that is the end goal. We all know the result will be job-killing cost increases on basically all major products vital to Utah farms, manufacturers and small businesses.
So, let’s ask, why would Congress choose to replicate a policy that has already failed so completely in Europe? The European Union established a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism that places tariffs based on the carbon emissions of imports. That is one of the main reasons tractors have been clogging the streets of European capitals and so-called “right wing” parties have been gaining strength.
We can’t ignore the crushing effect this would have on our state’s economy, imposing even higher costs on food and other daily expenses, making bad inflation even worse. And while inflation for the wealthy may be a nuisance, low- and middle-income working families take the real hit, as prices skyrocket on the goods they must purchase to survive.
The PROVE IT Act recently passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and a House version is also underway. Somehow, this damaging proposal has won bipartisan support, again confirming that too few lawmakers read the “fine print” on legislation that can do lasting damage.
Rep. John Curtis — a strong candidate to become Utah’s new senator — has made sincere efforts to bridge the ideological gap between partisan environmental factions in Washington. While such efforts should be applauded, we need Curtis and all of our representatives to be wary of radical environmental agendas posed in outwardly reasonable terms. Curtis has stated that he does not believe that the PROVE IT Act is a first step toward carbon taxes, but that is in direct contrast to what the bill’s biggest boosters have stated publicly.
Show me a time in history when government has created a framework to raise taxes, increase regulation and grow government, then turned and walked the other direction.
I trust that Curtis will also be mindful of how many of these “environmental initiatives” play out as revenue transfers from working taxpayers to elite Democrat donors in the form of contracts, subsidies and tax credits, while delivering little in the way of measurable environmental benefits. That is certainly not in the interest of Utah families and businesses.
While we don’t always line up politically, I consider John a friend. But as a sixth-generation Utah rancher, the alarm bells set off by the PROVE IT Act are too loud to ignore. It is a step toward the most progressive climate agenda ever, which, if European agriculture is any indicator, could make it so there will be no seventh generation on our family ranch.
I have no doubt Curtis is well meaning. But he and other Utah lawmakers have committed to boosting economic opportunities in our state and supporting our small business community. The PROVE IT Act as proposed will be a big step backwards on keeping those promises.
Carson Jorgensen is a sixth-generation Utah sheep rancher, a former chair of the Utah State Republican Party and a former Republican gubernatorial candidate. He lives in Mt. Pleasant, Utah.