Providing for Consideration of H. Con. Res. Expressing the Sense of Congress That A Carbon Tax Would Be Detrimental to the United States Economy

Floor Speech

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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, the facts of the case tend to find themselves to the surface at some point or another, and, in fact, there was a vigorous debate at the Rules Committee last night, yesterday. There was a vigorous debate, and I do recognize that my Democratic colleagues simply lost the vote. It did not stop the debate, however, because an amendment was brought forward that each member of the Democratic Party voted for it at the Rules Committee.

And under testimony that was given last night, it would be a counter play for the Democratic Party. When Republicans said we should not have a carbon tax, my Democratic colleagues came to the Rules Committee and argued they would be for a bill that would raise hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes that would be placed on energy in this country, hundreds of billions of dollars, at minimum. That is what they stood for.

So the policy behind what we are talking about here is, we said we believe that America should have a robust energy policy that is not taxed, that harms the American people. We should have a system of not just economics, but of energy policy that would also include green energy; would also include nuclear energy, which I consider pretty clean since it is a non-emitting source; that we would also allow the marketplace to have natural gas and something which they vigorously want to defend, and that is, home heating fuel, which is diesel fuel to be dumped by the billions of gallons in the Northeast.

Mr. Speaker, what we talked about yesterday also included the discussion about the Election Commission. In fiscal year 2018, funding provided $380 million across the country for the Election Assistance Commission, which was a final payment that was made in 2002, of $3.65 billion, because, you see, way back in 2002, just before that, there was an election that many people thought the outcome was wrong; so Republicans agreed we would put $3.65 billion available for States to buy what they would choose for brand new voting machines to ensure the assistance was given from the Federal Government to States for the security of the voting public.

Of the 2018 funds this year, only weeks before the election, 39 percent of those dollars are still available. Thirty-nine percent has not even been asked for this year, and 19 States have yet to even ask for any application to be able to go in and update or change their system.

The House Administration and the Homeland Security Committees are working diligently with law enforcement to find out what, if any, difficulty there was in the balloting process.

I have no doubt--none, no doubt--that there was interference in this last campaign election by outside forces, maybe even Russians. And it might not have just been Russians. It might have been a number of people.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller said we were duped; the American people were duped. We did not recognize the interference.

But I don't know whether it was at the ballot box or getting people to the ballot box, their will or desire to vote, or how they would vote. I am not sure we know that yet. But the special counsel is going to let us know that.

So, as we were talking about funding for 2018, 2019, Mr. Speaker, at this time there is no request for even 40 percent of the funds that we have. It is at the end of $3.65 billion. The States have had this fund available.

So we think that the facts of the case, as we give them today, should be enough evidence, not only to you, Mr. Speaker, but for the American people that there is not at this time a request necessary for more money.

I will cease my discussion now, Mr. Speaker, but will tell you that the resolution that is directly in front of us says we should not tax the middle class of this country, we should not tax further disabled people or the community of elderly people who have enjoyed the price of fuel going down because of what the Republican policy initiatives have enabled us to achieve.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

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