In Opposition to Democrats' Reconciliation Package

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for hosting this Special Order this evening.

The reconciliation package that my colleagues are pushing for may play well to focus groups in liberal cities, but in Pennsylvania, the energy policies being introduced in this legislation would be a death sentence for thousands of family-sustaining jobs.

It is clear that this administration is openly hostile to the energy industries that are critical in our State and that provide the baseload power that our Nation relies on.

At a time when gas prices just reached a 7-year high, this legislation would create new taxes on the oil and natural gas industries.

These regressive taxes would directly harm our middle-class citizens. They would harm the rural Americans who have to drive further distances and take longer commutes in order to get to work.

This administration claims these taxes would pay to support working families. That is false.

In reality, these taxes would pay to enact radical policies like creating green workforce tax credits that cost over $10 billion.

These taxes would pay to give kickbacks to liberal companies that promote the false solutions offered by the Green New Deal energy agenda.

Let's be clear: These taxes do not benefit the American people. This administration is willing to raise taxes on working Americans for the sake of their socialist energy policies.

This is not responsible government. It is not a government that is working to improve the quality of life for all citizens.

It is disappointing to see the administration lying about what this legislation does.

This bill would bankrupt our energy producers and send prices soaring even higher.

This legislation would not help to build our economy, it would not help to build our workforce, and it would not protect the American energy consumers.

The truth is simple: We cannot afford this legislation. We must vote against it.

I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for organizing this Special Order.

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