United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President and colleagues, I will be brief. I want to give the Senate a sense of where we are with respect to this issue. In front of us right now is a bipartisan agreement to extend a variety of provisions to promote clean energy and reduce carbon emissions.

When I talk to colleagues on both sides of the aisle, there is enormous support for the effort to reduce carbon emissions. Now, I can look around this Chamber and point out colleagues who have worked with me on the renewable energy provisions that are part of this bipartisan agreement, which includes not just the credit for wind but also solar and other renewable energy. I would submit this is the best approach we have today, which is to make sure that we don't miss out on critical investments right now.

For the future, I have a plan to move to a technology-neutral system that would avoid picking winners and losers, take this mess of a Tax Code, with more than 40 separate energy provisions, throw it in the trash, and say we are going to focus on one thing--reducing carbon emissions. We aren't there today. What is here today is climate change. That is why it is so important that we pass this bill and reject this amendment.

With that, I want to thank my colleagues from North Dakota. I remember enjoying going to North Dakota with the sponsor of this amendment. I will tell you, if you are over 6 feet tall, make sure to exercise before you go to North Dakota because you will be in the smallest airline seat in the history of aviation.

John Hoeven is a very good and caring man. I am looking forward to working with him on these issues in the future.

And with that, I would object.

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Mr. WYDEN. I would say to my colleague, I am always interested in working with him in the future. After we pass this bill, with these important provisions to meet our immediate needs, let's set as our lodestar reducing carbon emissions.

When you and I served on the Energy Committee together, that was an approach that brought together Republicans and Democrats.
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