Providing for Consideration of H.R. Climate Action Now Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 9.

Madam Speaker, if we are really going to speak about what makes sense, what doesn't make sense, or what does have a relevance, let's not forget about who bears the brunt of the cost of what we are talking about. It is hardworking Americans.

I find it interesting that we talk about: Well, do you know what, you guys did stuff the last time that prevented us from getting amendments in, so we are following along with the same thing. I have great respect for the chairman of the Rules Committee, but I have to say that if the whole purpose of this is what I think it is, then I would like to go back to the actual beginning where this should have been treated as a treaty and it should have gotten the advice and consent of the Senate. Why did President Obama not do that? Obviously, he did it because he couldn't get the advice and consent of the Senate, so he decided to do it this way.

If our whole job in coming to the people's House is to defend the American people, then we need to take a real long look at what it is that we are trying to defend. This bill today is a messaging bill, there is no question about it.

If you look at the damage that could be done to the American people-- I am talking about the American people now, not a philosophy that is out there, not an agenda that is out there, but I am talking about hardworking Americans: a loss of nearly 400,000 jobs--this is according to the Heritage Foundation--an average manufacturing loss of over 200,000 jobs, a total income loss of more than $20,000 per family, a GDP loss of over $2.5 trillion, and increases in household electricity expenditures between 13 percent and 20 percent. The biggest offenders in the world are China and India, and they aren't part of this so- called agreement.

If we are really concerned about protecting the people who sent us here to be their voice, then we ought to look at what their voice is and who bears the burden of a philosophy, a failed philosophy, that has no chance of working itself into law. We know that, and yet today we will come here, and we will rail against something that isn't really on the list of what the American people have the greatest concerns over.

The people who I represent back in Pennsylvania, they thank me every day for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act because it has reduced their utility bills.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source