Senate Proceeding on Jul 24th, 2009 :: 2:46:55 to 2:55:05
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2:46:55 to 2:55:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Barrasso

2:46:56 to 2:47:17( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from a senator: thank you, i ask the quorum call be suspended. mr. barrasso: thank you, mr. president. i come to speak because i have tremendous concerns about the effects of the waxman-markey

2:47:18 to 2:47:38( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: climate change bill, concerns about the destruction of jobs and the costs to our economy. the waxman-markey bill may create some green jobs. if it does, great. we need green jobs in my state. we need green jobs all across the country. but we are developing -- because in wyoming, we are developing our wind resources. so we need the green jobs, and

2:47:39 to 2:47:59( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: wyoming has world-class wind. but to me, this bill also costs jobs, and americans want all jobs, not just some jobs. people don't want to lose the jobs that they have with the promise that they may get a green down the line. americans want all the jobs.

2:48:00 to 2:48:21( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: they want to keep the ones they have, and they want to create more jobs, more opportunities. to me, the waxman-markey bill fails to do that. the administration says that the waxman markey bill millions, millions of new jobs. this administration also promised that after congress passed the so-called economic

2:48:22 to 2:48:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: stimulus package that they would create or save 3.5 million jobs. well, since the passage of that bill, being signed into law, unemployment has reached 9.5% in this nation. last month almost 500,000 people lost their jobs. the administration's economic expert said that unemployment

2:48:44 to 2:49:05( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: would not exceed 8% if the stimulus package passed the senate, passed the house and was signed into law. well, they were wrong and not just by a hreufplt in an interview with george stephanopoulos, vice president biden acknowledged the administration officials were too optimistic when they predicted unemployment rates

2:49:06 to 2:49:26( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: would peak at 8%. the vice president said the administration and i, he said, misread the economy. well, is it possible then that the administration is misreading the economic predictions of millions of new jobs being created in this bill? the administration failed to make the grade on the $787 billion stimulus package, and i

2:49:27 to 2:49:47( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: believe the administration is failing again by supporting this misguided climate change bill. now, it is a fact that the climate change legislation will cost jobs in the american economy. that's why there is language in the bill to retrain workers who lose their jobs.

2:49:48 to 2:50:08( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: well, why will this legislation cost jobs? the waxman-markey climate change bill is designed to make fossil fuel more expensive. adequate to say we must make fossil fuel more expensive to change the behavior of businesses and consumers. that means making everything

2:50:09 to 2:50:29( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: powered by fossil fuel more expensive. fossil fuel powers your car, your home, your office. it powers the airplanes we fly and trains we ride in, trucks; things that we use for our own transportation, but also things where we ship goods from farms and small businesses to the marketplace all across this country and all o these things will be made

2:50:30 to 2:50:50( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: more expensive because of the climate change bill that passed the house. when you increase the cost of bringing goods and services to the marketplace, especially in a recession, it becomes a recipe for economic disaster. it leads to lost jobs and lost economic opportunities.

2:50:51 to 2:51:11( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: we can't afford in this country to lose more jobs. by deciding to pass waxman-markey, the majority will increase the cost business, the legislation will increase the cost for every small business. the legislation will force them to pay more for everything that uses energy.

2:51:12 to 2:51:32( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: those costs will put in debt or even out of biness. jobs will be lost and unemployment will continue to climb. the administration talks about creating green jobs. well, we certainly want those jobs, but we also want the red, white, and blue jobs that have powered america for centuries.

2:51:33 to 2:51:54( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: there was a " article on july 21. it was entitled "u.s. green jobs seen taking years --" let me highlight years -- "of planning." the article mentions up front that alternative-energy jobs can provide vocations across many sectors of the economy, policy to spark them can take

2:51:55 to 2:52:16( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: years to develop. not now, not six months from now, not a year from now. but years into the future. promises of immediate green jobs being created across the country because of this waxman-markey bill are just another misreading by this administration. the economic stimulus package

2:52:17 to 2:52:38( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: was simply the first thi that the president misread. those jobs never materialized. the green jobs promised in waxman-markey may also take years to develop. however, the job losses that the bill creates, those losses will occur immediately.

2:52:39 to 2:53:00( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: in an "investors business daily" editorial july 17 entitled "following california off a green that america remains the richest country on earth -- america remains the richest country earth -- but it might profit from adopting a bit of the attitude displayed by much

2:53:01 to 2:53:22( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: poorer but up-and-coming economic rivals such as china and india. those nations don't take prosperity for granted. that is why good sports on global warming. they prefer to get rich and then go green. the author goes on to say that the u.s. i

2:53:23 to 2:53:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: can't afford strong environmental policies, but it can't afford to take its prosperity for granted either. let me repeat that last line. it can't afford -- united state take our prosperity for granted. we here in congress, the members of this congress, cannot afford

2:53:44 to 2:54:04( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: to take the prosperity of this nation for granted. if we pass bill similar to it, that prosperity will erode further. we should create jobsnd we should create more wealth in this country. we need to keep business costs low so businesses can expand and

2:54:05 to 2:54:26( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: create wealth for our nation. and we can do that by making america's e can, as fast as we can without raising energy and without raising energy prices for the businesses and the families of america. our end goal must be to do everything we can to keep

2:54:27 to 2:54:47( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: jobs that we to find ways to add new green jobs. americans want all of the jobs and more. we need them all. thank you, mr. president, and i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the

2:54:48 to 2:54:53( Edit History Discussion )

John Barrasso: clerk will call the roll.