Expressing the Sense of Congress That A Carbon Tax Would Be Detrimental to the United States Economy

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning in strong support of the resolution, and I thank my good friend and colleague from Louisiana, Steve Scalise, for bringing it to the floor.

The carbon tax is one of those endlessly recycled bad ideas. A carbon tax would put a tax and increased costs on coal, oil, and gas carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and other sources.

In simpler terms, a carbon tax is a tax on productivity. As anyone with the slightest familiarity with economics will tell you, the more you tax something, the less you get of it. It is just common sense.

Late last year, Congress was able to deliver historic tax reform. Just 7 months after we passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, nearly every economic indicator is showing record-breaking success.

The free market has been unleashed again, and our economy is thriving as a result. We are on pace for a quarter of economic growth that we haven't seen in more than a decade.

Imposing a job-killing carbon tax minimizes the gains we have made and will stunt our economic growth. Of course, the carbon tax would run counter to the goals of American energy dominance and national security, another priority this administration and this Congress have been able to make great progress in.

A carbon tax would have a negative effect on consumption, investment, and jobs; increase the cost of coal, natural gas, and petroleum products; and lead to lower real wage rates, lower labor productivity, and decreased worker incomes.

Imposing a carbon tax on hardworking Americans sets the Nation backward. After all the accomplishments we have made in the last year and a half, that is something we simply should not tolerate.

A carbon tax asks the entire Nation to make enormous sacrifices, and the only thing we get in return is falling behind our competitors in the global marketplace.

We have a broad array of leaders across the spectrum in the economy who support and agree with these principles.

Harry Alford, president of the National Black Chamber of Congress, said: ``Our great Nation is at a crossroads. We can continue to reduce regulations and watch our economy rise with the recent tax reform. Bringing unnecessary hurdles before us like a carbon tax will preclude that growth and hurt our economy immensely.''

I have pages and pages of these.

Heather Higgins, CEO of the Independent Women's Voice, said: ``A carbon tax would be devastating to millions of American women and their families, causing their electricity bills and transportation costs to skyrocket, as well as suppressing their wages.''

Chet Thompson, president of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, said: ``Energy is the engine of progress. Making it more expensive will hurt our economy and disproportionately impact middle- and low-income families who can least afford it.''

If we had time, Mr. Speaker, I could be here all day. I have pages and pages of these quotes in support of the principle that we are advocating here this morning.

Mr. Speaker, we have to support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do that.

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