[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 109 (Monday, July 20, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H8360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             OPPOSING JOB-KILLING CAP-AND-TRADE LEGISLATION

  (Mr. BOOZMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the floor my 
constituents' opposition to the cap-and-trade bill recently passed in 
the House. At a time when this country faces the possibility of a 
double-digit unemployment rate, a tax that will lead to fewer jobs, 
force Americans to pay more energy costs and raise the price of every 
manufactured good is unthinkable.
  My constituents, as well as I, wonder how we will afford the 
predicted $1,200 to $3,100 increase in annual energy costs. Take, for 
example, one senior citizen in my district who lives on a fixed income 
and is no longer able to work. Already living at a bare-bones level, he 
cannot afford a $3,100 increase in his expenses. My constituent will 
not find himself alone in such a predicament. If cap-and-trade were to 
become law, it would amount to the largest tax hike in United States 
history; and in our current economic climate, it would leave many 
Americans pinching pennies simply to turn on the lights.
  No one is opposed to clean air and water, but there are other methods 
of protecting our environment that support the best interests of our 
citizens. Instead of legislation that would deepen our economic 
troubles, Congress should prioritize legislation that will protect 
jobs, create jobs, and stimulate the economy.

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