[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 144 (Tuesday, November 13, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H6330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1410
EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME PROHIBITION
(Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, a little bit later today the House is
going to vote on the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme
Prohibition Act. This is a bill that is very important to our civilian
and civil aviation operators. It would block them from participating in
the European Union's emission trading scheme.
Now the reason this is important is because of this: according to
Bloomberg news, the inclusion of the airline industry in the EU's 2005
cap-and-trade program will cost U.S. airline companies between--get
this--$10.1- and $39.4 billion from 2012 to 2020. Now who do you think
is going to pay that cost? Consumers are going to pay it.
The House has already decided we don't want a cap-and-trade system.
We voted against that domestically, so why would we want our airline
industry to have to participate in this on an international basis? MIT
economists have looked at it and said the new rule will increase costs
on passengers flying to Europe, all to subsidize their cap-and-trade
systems.
With rising fuel costs and a down economy, we simply cannot afford
this. So for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to protect American
sovereignty to support our domestic aviation industry and vote in favor
of H.R. 1956.
____________________