[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 179 (Friday, November 3, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H8448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PROTECT WIND ENERGY INVESTMENT

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, as time goes on, people are going to 
have a chance to look at the details of the Republican tax plan. It is 
clear that the benefits are concentrated to those who need help the 
least, ignoring those who need help the most, and producing an 
unaffordable deficit in the future.
  But one of the most disturbing elements of this is that the 
Republican plan would gut the agreement that we negotiated in good 
faith with the wind energy industry to be able to wean them off tax 
subsidies. It was phased down in exchange for that certainty. The 
industry has up to $50 billion that is at risk by having the Federal 
Government pull the rug out from underneath them.
  We were well on the path towards sustainability with a clean American 
bill--low carbon energy. It puts at risk 50,000 jobs as a result of the 
reversal in course, and it raises questions for American business 
whether or not they can trust the American Congress to keep a deal.
  This is an element that must be changed. We must respect the 
agreement that we made and protect the massive investment in 
manufacturing and employment.

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