President Obama pushed hard for legislation that would have provided economic incentives to companies to reduce global warming pollution.
Many Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives backed the measure in the summer of 2009, including 11th Congressional District freshman Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, of Crete, Ill.
The cap and trade bill ultimately died once it reached the U.S. Senate, but Halvorson’s support for it may have played a role in her defeat for re-election Tuesday night.
“The cap and trade legislation is dead,” the 32-year-old Kinzinger said during his victory speech at a banquet hall in south suburban Frankfort.
Kinzinger’s victory helped Republicans take back Congress.
The 11th District runs from the south suburbs to Blooington-Normal, to just east of the Quad Cities. The district has voted historically with Republicans, but voted in Halvorson two years ago following a scandal that involved longtime Congressman Jerry Weller.
The former Air Force pilot and Bloomington native, Kinzinger said he viewed cap and trade as a tax on business, which could stifle job creation.
“It’s in the private sector where jobs are created,” Kinzinger said.
Kinzinger said he does support the President’s effort regarding energy police.
“The President says he supports nuclear, I support nuclear. He says he supports a long-term energy plan. I support it,” Kinzinger said. “But cap and trade was not the answer to that. Areas where we can find to work together, we ought to, but I’m not going to flex on areas of budgets, spending and job creation.”
