The idea is simple, but it works. Polluters should be paid to clean up the mess that they have caused. Mr. Van Hollen stated in an interview that the polluters who pollute the most should pay more. The ones who have made the biggest profits should now be responsible for the damage they have caused.As the Senate prepares for a vote on a bipartisan infrastructure package worth $1 trillion, which includes billions of dollar to help communities recover from climate change-induced extreme weather, the Senate has already approved this proposal. Democrats plan to pass a $3.5 trillion separate budget package, which will include measures to reduce carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by burning fossil fuels. This would help to lower global temperatures.Liberal lawmakers support a tax on polluting businesses. This includes Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is an independent senator, and Senators Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts and Elizabeth Warren of Rhode Island, both Democrats.Van Hollen stated that he believes his legislation will be supported by his party. It would then be attached to the budget reconciliation bill, which Democrats hope will pass without Republican votes. However, this would mean that all Democrats in the narrowly divided Senate, including Joe Manchin III from West Virginia, must support the measure. Joe Manchin III has repeatedly argued against antifossil-fuel legislation.Although several large oil companies support a tax on carbon emission, including the American Petroleum Institute and the Chamber of Commerce, the largest oil and gas trade organization in the country, fossil fuel advocates argued on Tuesday that it was unfair to target a few companies.
