A fight brewing beneath the surface over Republican support for a carbon tax is about to come to a head this week as Congress shifts its focus to tax reform and the climate policy gains traction inside the conservative ranks.

A host of conservative groups such as the Americans for Tax Reform, led by Grover Norquist, are trying to discourage the GOP from entertaining a carbon tax or placing a price on greenhouse gas emissions, an idea that a handful of libertarian and conservative groups support.