On July 2, The Washington Times published a "commentary" by Cato Institute senior fellow Richard Rahn criticizing Congress for passing “the largest tax increase in American history this past Friday, under the claim it was a vote to save the climate.” In the op-ed -- which was referring to the cap-and-trade energy bill recently passed by the House -- Rahn stated that “proponents claim this tax bill will reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, which are purported to cause global warming” and then responded to that claim, in part, by asserting: “None of the climate models predicted the unexpected global cooling of the last decade.” However, climate experts reject the idea that relatively cooler global temperatures during the past decade are any indication that global warming is slowing.

As Media Matters for America has noted, annual global average temperatures have both risen and fallen over the past 11 years, and there have been some relatively cooler years during that period -- including a decline in each of the past three years relative to the year before. But climate scientists have identified a long-term warming trend spanning several decades that is independent from the normal climate variability -- which includes relatively short-term changes in climate due to events like El Niño and La Niña -- to which they attribute the recent relatively cooler temperatures.

From Rahn's July 2 Washington Times op-ed:

Why did a bare majority (219-212) of the members of the U.S. Congress vote for the largest tax increase in American history this past Friday, under the claim it was a vote to save the climate?

Before you answer the question, consider the following facts. The proponents claim this tax bill will reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, which are purported to cause global warming. First, despite the claims of President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and many in the media, there is no consensus in the scientific community about how much climate change, other than the normal cycles, is taking place, nor how severe it will be, and how much man-made CO2 is responsible. None of the climate models predicted the unexpected global cooling of the last decade.