Former US Republican congressman shares his take on climate change
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, R-South Carolina, came to Utah State University on Oct. 24 to talk about the conservative movement taking place within the climate community, as well as a need for a carbon tax and the future for the movement.
Inglis, a former Republican house member, didn’t believe climate change was a problem during his first term in Congress.
“I didn’t know much about climate change except Al Gore was for it, so I was against it,” he said.
Inglis said his son helped change his mind.
“He told me, ‘Dad I want to vote for you, but how about you be relevant to my future and the future of your daughters?’” Inglis said.
After doing his own research and taking a trip to Antarctica, Inglis drafted the Cut Carbon Act of 2009. According to the bill’s summary on Congress.gov, the act imposed an environmental tax on carbon substances.
Not all of Inglis’ constituents supported such a move.
“That bill, and some other ‘heresies’ got me in trouble with the ultra-conservative district I represented in South Carolina,” he said.
Inglis now works as a climate activist, talking to other conservatives and trying to get them to join his movement.
“We need conservatives to know they are not alone in this fight,” Inglis said.
Augusta Scott, president of the USU College Republicans, said it’s an important topic.
“Most of us have heard about this from a young age,” Scott said. “I think that’s the case for most students, especially ones that were here tonight, and it’s something they can talk about because its controversial at the moment.”
Dillan Passmore, vice president of the USU College Republicans, agreed.
“Quite often when people think of conservatism and the Republican Party, they think of tax cuts and the Reagan ‘80s,” Passmore said.
However, Passmore said those problems were relevant to their time, and conservatives need to be relevant to their time today. “Around 70% of Americans consider climate change to be an issue, and I feel we [Republicans] at the very least need to engage the topic,” he added.
According to Inglis, after the financial disaster of 2008, Republicans became more concerned with the economy than the climate. However, he said now that the economy is improving and the alarming data on climate change is the same, it’s time for Republicans and conservatives to start caring about climate policies again.
The focus of Inglis’s presentation centered around an approach to climate change that looks to free enterprise, instead of government, to make a difference.
“A carbon tax that gives money back to the people is a place to start,” Inglis said. According to his website, his proposed carbon tax, or a fee imposed on carbon pollution, would be revenue neutral. In other words, the government wouldn’t get to keep any of the money. Inglis said this could be accomplished by cutting payroll or income tax.
Inglis is also hopeful about the future of the Republican Party on climate change.
“You have senators like Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski and Mike Braun who are going to be part of the senate bipartisan climate solutions caucus. That’s a big deal,” he said.
Inglis said he had positive reactions from other conservatives during his talks but is somewhat doubtful about how progressives will receive his proposals.
“The problem is that newer progressives like AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] keep moving the goalpost,” Inglis said. “But I am very thankful for Speaker Nancy Pelosi because I think she realizes we are now in a position to have a conversation.”
Other attendees were encouraged by the discussion.
“Bob’s message began by talking about values that people on both sides of the political spectrum share,” USU College Republicans club member James Ostergar said. “This method can be applied to climate change, but also other things, and this brings hope that agreements can be reached on polarizing issues.”
According to Passmore, “A lot of people will disagree with Republicans’ proposed solutions,” but that’s a necessary part of the debate.
Scott said she was happy with how people reacted to the meeting. “I was very happy to have a number of people with questions that were more left-leaning and right-leaning,” she said. “It’s always a good sign when this sort of thing is well-received.”
The USU College Republicans hope to have more discussions and speakers for the public in the near future. The club meets on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in the Jon M. Huntsman Hall, room 170.
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