Congress Must Work Together

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, attempting to push through yet another socialist spending spree this year might be what liberals think will help their polling numbers, but it is not what the American people need.

In reality, this bill would exacerbate our energy crisis and make our country less safe.

The reckless spending in this legislation can best be defined as build back bankruptcy.

Right now, in my hometown of Altoona, Pennsylvania, gas costs over $3.50 a gallon. That is money coming directly out of Americans' pockets. If this spending spree is passed, that cost will only go up.

So far, the Biden administration has placed a moratorium on new American drilling, canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, and allowed the Russians to produce oil for our allies in Europe. This legislation, unfortunately, doubles down on the Biden administration's war on American energy.

This lengthy piece of legislation overregulates and overtaxes the natural gas, coal, and Marcellus shale industries that provide good wages and low-cost power to American families.

Instead of supporting American energy, this bill hands out green energy tax credits to wind and solar manufacturers that are unable to meet the energy needs of our country. Wind turbines and solar panels are not going to heat our homes this winter.

We need to focus on regaining America's energy independence. We need to focus on lowering energy costs before winter sets in.

This inflation is not transitory. We cannot wish this problem away.

Passing the Green New Deal dressed up as infrastructure legislation is not the answer to the problem that we are currently facing.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all Members of this body to work together to pass an infrastructure bill that would actually rebuild our roads and rebuild our bridges.

In Congress, we must be responsible stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. We need to find a fiscally responsible way to build roads and to repair bridges.

We need to complete the Appalachian regional highway system, and we need to expand internet access to all citizens across the Commonwealths, across the States, and across America. We need to do this without mortgaging our children's future. We need to do this without ballooning our deficit in a way that would hamstring the American people for decades to come.

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