Climate Action Now Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. BARR. Madam Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill. It would not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill would immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.
This motion makes a small but important change to the bill, a change that is necessary to preserve the economic strength of the United States.
The amendment simply states that the act shall not take effect until the President certifies that the United States will not, on net, lose jobs to China as a result of meeting the emissions commitments required under the Paris Agreement.
If, as the majority believes, the Paris Agreement will improve America's economic and technological competitiveness, this should not be a problem.
Madam Speaker, I do not disagree with my colleagues that climate change is a problem that this Nation and other nations need to address. In fact, I believe it is important that we continue to have discussions about serious solutions on how to mitigate these risks through American innovation, conservation, adaptation, and preparation. But, Madam Speaker, H.R. 9 is not a serious solution to these problems.
The truth of the matter is the Paris Agreement would hurt our economy, cost millions of American jobs, weaken our sovereignty, and put us at a disadvantage among international competitors, especially China.
My home State of Kentucky relies heavily on fossil fuels, and the coal industry provides our State with thousands of jobs and delivers over 83 percent of our power. This enables Kentuckians to enjoy some of the lowest-cost electricity rates in the country.
Kentucky is not the only State that relies on carbon-based fuels for its energy. Nationally, our energy mix is made up of about 80 percent fossil fuels, as compared to only 5 percent intermittent and unreliable sources, such as solar and wind.
Let's think about the feasibility of hitting the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement to cut greenhouse emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025 or, to push the debate even further, those goals outlined in the Democrats' other climate proposals, such as the Green New Deal, to eliminate fossil fuels completely, a proposal that just yesterday every member of the majority voted against bringing up for debate. That is because the Green New Deal is nothing more than an absurd socialist fantasy that would devastate our economy.
As policymakers, our goal should not be to embrace at all costs the greenest energy. Our goal should be to promote the best energy, the most effective energy, the most reliable energy, and the most affordable energy.
Despite massive technological advances and innovations, any drastic move away from fossil fuel consumption is dangerous. It would mean increased energy prices and decreased reliability. Household electricity expenditures would increase up to 20 percent.
It would mean manufacturing and energy-intensive jobs moving offshore. On average, we would see a shortfall of nearly 200,000 manufacturing jobs and 400,000 jobs overall.
It would mean economic decline and stagnation in communities, yielding an aggregate GDP loss of over $2.5 trillion and a total income loss for a family of four of over $20,000.
It is only common sense that we ensure that these economic outcomes will never come to fruition before entering into this agreement, which is what this simple amendment would do.
Remember, between 2000 and 2014, the United States reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent without being subject to any international agreement.
We should continue to focus on reducing emissions, developing and exporting clean coal technologies, and making our communities more resilient, but 1,000 more pages in the Federal Register will not change the weather. Scientific and technological innovation fueled through free enterprise can.
Finally, if we want to be serious about a global solution to climate change, we need to address the world's largest carbon emissions offenders that have refused to meet the agreement's goals. This agreement fails to address those real polluters.
China, the number one country in the world for greenhouse gas emissions, is perhaps our greatest strategic economic adversary. It is a nation that has been growing in manufacturing and industrial dominance.
Under the Paris Agreement, China has been allowed to increase emissions until 2030. This gives China a leg up. They will spend that decade stealing our jobs. That hits people in my district the hardest. It hits those who can least afford it.
As we confront China economically, we must be sure our environmental goals do not put us at a strategic disadvantage or force us to commit economic self-destruction. We must ensure that our policies do not raise electric rates and drive energy-intensive businesses offshore. We must make sure that China, with its rapacious appetite for dominating all industry and its sweeping efforts to steal U.S. ideas, does not have new reasons to take advantage of American workers.
Madam Speaker, socialism and central planning will never solve the problems of the human race. Vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. BARR. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
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