Providing for Consideration of S. Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act; and for Other Purposes
Floor Speech
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Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Minnesota for so eloquently explaining the underlying reason that I rise to oppose the previous question so that we may immediately consider H.R. 8749, which is my bill to strike the new tax on every American, the new tax on natural gas that was included in the Democrats' paycheck reduction act.
At a time when we actually are witnessing probably the most destructive energy poverty crisis in the civilized world, which is happening right now in Europe, in most cases happening in countries that are now experiencing a tenfold increase of their heating bills, a tenfold increase of their energy bills, a tenfold increase of all the requirements of energy, the most foundational piece of any economy, President Biden is driving an agenda to do the same thing here in the United States, driving an agenda to impoverish the energy needs of this country.
While the President may deny the existence of inflation and crippling price hikes, those of us who are actually buying our own groceries and paying our bills every month know that is false. No position in the United States can deny the economic facts--8.3 percent. That, I believe, pales in comparison to what areas in rural America are actually paying.
Price hikes on energy are the largest driver of this inflation by far. Gas utility bills are up 33 percent. Electricity is up almost 16 percent. It is 16 percent more expensive than it was this time last year.
In the United States right now, today, energy costs are so high that one in six Americans are facing a notice from their electric company that they may be disconnected--one in six.
When I said these words just a couple of months ago, everybody on the other side of the aisle laughed at that proposition. Yet, it is the policy that started with the flurry of activity last January, the executive orders that were aimed at killing the industry that underpins our economy, the industry that won World War II, the industry that has lifted 1 billion people out of poverty, 1 billion people around the world in places like sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and the Far East. That is because of the shale revolution. That is because of technology.
The Paris climate accords have absolutely nothing on the reduction of harmful pollutants and emissions that private innovation has actually done.
And even knowing this, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have introduced another tax on American energy that will continue to drive costs up.
How many more Americans will be unable to heat their homes this fall and this winter when Democrat tax initiatives make their utility bills 50 percent more expensive than last year?
Does the Green New Deal lobby group want America to follow in the footsteps of the Europeans I just mentioned who have returned-- literally returned to burning wood chips in their homes?
Restarting coal plants, where was that in the Green New Deal? Where was that in the Paris climate accord in COP26?
Make no mistake. These costs will swiftly be passed along to the 180 million Americans and 5.5 million businesses that rely on natural gas.
In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office now estimates this fee will increase taxes by $6.5 billion and raise natural gas bills an additional 17 percent, in addition to the inflationary pressures already facing our economy. What an inexcusable error.
Instead of encouraging more U.S. production of oil and gas, House Democrats have opted instead to cut government checks to favored green special interest groups.
And by the way, what happened to the President's promise not to raise taxes on Americans earning less than 400,000? It is laughable.
Americans are begging for lower prices. They are begging for the government to simply allow free market principles to work; to allow the companies that underpin energy to do what they do best, which is to do it better, to do it more efficient; to do it cleaner and to not be dependent on adversaries like Russia and China and other adversaries.
The crowning achievement of President Biden's energy policies will be dependence on adversaries for our energy needs. In Maslow's hierarchy, I couldn't think of something that is worse; dependence on OPEC oil as he goes to Saudi Arabia asking for more production when we can do it here better.
We only need to look at the reckless policies in Europe to understand how bad this can be. We only need to look at the dependence that Europe had on Russia that has now, in many, many ways, led to a crisis in Ukraine.
Energy underpins everything. And I am tired of hearing that we are in an energy transition. We are not. We are in an energy expansion.
Another billion people will be added to the population of this globe within the next 15 to 20 years, one billion. Where is their energy going to come from? Can those people afford electric vehicles?
Where does electricity come from?
These are the questions it would be nice to have in a transparent, open, and realistic debate. In this energy expansion, I invite my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to come to my district to see the fact that my congressional district has more wind energy than the entire State of California. Come see what we do with regards to solar.
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Mr. PFLUGER. Come to my district to see that, in this energy expansion, it is going to take every available source of energy. But most importantly, it is going to take reliable energy, base-load energy, sources that are primary that can provide the reliability.
We don't need to go the direction that Europe has gone, and we certainly don't need to go the direction that our friends in California have gotten used to with rolling blackouts.
And we don't need higher taxes. Every American family is struggling. The solution is literally directly below our feet. It is literally at the hands of the most innovative and experienced entrepreneurs, engineers, hardworking patriots. It is here. We can provide that reliability and reduce dependency.
I urge my colleagues to cast their vote for the American family, for the senior on a fixed income, for the small business owner, and for energy security.
And let me issue a warning. If we continue down this path, it will end in energy poverty right here in this country; and those that will be affected most are the vulnerable in our population, the ones that are disconnected from their energy companies; the ones that can't afford to do anything because energy costs are so high.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8749 which would strike the new tax on natural gas, and get us on a path, once again, to energy dominance, energy security and reliability.
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