Congressional Record, Senate, September 8, 2022: Page S4500
Summary
Page S4500 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for September 8, 2022, in interleaved columns. A speaker calls the Inflation Reduction Act, like the so-called plan before it, a big government, big spending piece of legislation that will do nothing to address the real economic challenges facing the Nation, and says it will drive up energy costs. Another passage argues that clean energy technology has not advanced to the point where it can be solely relied on and that oil and natural gas are still needed. Morning business is then closed and the Senate proceeds to executive session.
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“Congressional Record, Senate, September 8, 2022: Page S4500.”
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S4500 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 8, 2022
ran headfirst—headfirst—into this na- Democrats have clearly been seeing the matter is, clean energy technology
tional embarrassment. Just as impor- the polling on Americans’ opinion of has not advanced to a point where we
tantly, we will also keep pushing to re- the economy and their lack of faith in can solely rely on alternative energy.
build America’s military, both to meet President Biden and Democrats to deal We need oil, we need natural gas, and
major threats from Russia and China with the economic challenges we are we will continue to need them for a
and to defend the terrorist challenges facing. That is unquestionably why while yet. Efforts to discourage domes-
President Biden has left to fester. Democrats named their bill the ‘‘Infla- tic production of conventional energy
I suggest the absence of a quorum. tion Reduction Act’’ and touted their will simply drive up energy costs for
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- commitment to deficit reduction in an hard-working Americans and force our
pore. The clerk will call the roll. attempt to suggest fiscal responsi- country to rely on unstable foreign
The bill clerk proceeded to call the bility. The problem, of course, is that sources of oil and gas. Now, that may
roll. their commitment to deficit reduction, very well be the Democrats’ plan in
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask inflation reduction, and fiscal responsi- hopes of hastening the arrival of their
unanimous consent that the order for bility was and continues to be nothing Green New Deal future.
the quorum call be rescinded. more than window dressing. Democrats like to bill themselves as
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- At its core, the Inflation Reduction the party of the little guy, but their
pore. Without objection. Act, like the so-called American Res- track record gives the lie to that.
cue Plan before it, is just another big Democrats couldn’t bring themselves
f
government, big spending piece of leg- to support measures to lower Ameri-
CONCLUSION OF MORNING islation. It will do nothing to address cans’ energy bills by increasing domes-
BUSINESS the real economic challenges facing tic oil and gas production because it
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- our Nation. Instead, it will waste tax- conflicts with their Green New Deal
pore. Morning business is closed. payer dollars on Democrats’ big gov-
ideology. They did all unite to protect
ernment fantasies. It will drive up en-
f a tax deduction that mainly goes to
ergy costs in the service of Democrats’
EXECUTIVE SESSION wealthy Americans in high-tax States
Green New Deal agenda. It will push
and to make sure, as I mentioned, that
people off private insurance and into
--- government-run healthcare, driving up
wealthy Americans are able to access
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR tax credits for electric vehicles.
the cost to taxpayers. The legislation
Of course, they opposed a measure to
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- imposes socialist-style price controls
prevent more audits of Americans
pore. Under the previous order, the that will discourage medical innova-
making less than $400,000 a year. That
Senate will proceed to executive ses- tion and reduce the number of new
is right. Democrats’ legislation in-
sion and resume consideration of the treatments and cures. It imposes new
cludes tens of billions of dollars for
following nomination, which the clerk taxes on businesses that will slow eco-
new IRS agents and increased audits.
will report. nomic growth and result in lower
Democrats’ hope is that more audits of
The bill clerk read the nomination of wages and fewer jobs. And the list goes
Americans will help pay for some of
Andre B. Mathis, of Tennessee, to be on.
In case there was any doubt about their spending measures like increased
United States Circuit Judge for the government healthcare subsidies and
Sixth Circuit. their intentions with this bill, Demo-
crats made their priorities very, very their Green New Deal priorities.
Thereupon, the Senate proceeded to The Biden administration put out a
consider the nomination. clear when the Senate considered
amendments. Democrats’ so-called In- statement claiming that this wouldn’t
THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT mean increased audits of Americans
flation Reduction Act hikes taxes on
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, a month making less than $400,000 a year, but
domestic oil and gas production—some-
ago yesterday, Senate Democrats when Democrats had the opportunity
thing that will unquestionably result
shoved another partisan spending bill to confirm that by supporting an
in higher energy prices for American
through the Senate—this one, the inac- amendment that would have prevented
families, who are already facing higher
curately named ‘‘Inflation Reduction the new enforcement funds from being
energy bills in the Biden economy.
Act.’’ I say ‘‘inaccurately named’’ be- used to audit Americans making less
During the amendment vote-arama
cause the so-called Inflation Reduction than $400,000 a year, they unani-
on this legislation, Democrats made it
Act will do nothing to reduce inflation. very clear that they are, indeed, just mously—unanimously—voted against
That is right. The so-called Inflation fine with restricting American energy it.
Reduction Act will not actually reduce production and seeing Americans’ en- I could go on. I haven’t even talked
inflation. You don’t have to take my ergy bills soar. about the border security amendments
word for it; the nonpartisan Penn Democrats rejected attempts to ease the Democrats opposed. Republicans
Wharton Budget Model said this about their tax hikes on domestic oil and gas. thought that perhaps, while Democrats
the bill’s impact on inflation: ‘‘The im- They rejected amendments to make it were throwing money at environmental
pact on inflation is statistically indis- easier for companies to develop Amer- justice and climate slush funds and
tinguishable from zero’’—‘‘statistically ican oil and natural gas. They also re- identifying gaps in tree canopy cov-
indistinguishable from zero.’’ jected a comprehensive amendment to erage, perhaps they could spare some
Democrats also claim that the bill reform the burdensome permitting money for the crisis at our southern
will lead to deficit reduction, but that process, which is one of the biggest ob- border—a crisis that Democrats have
is not really true, either. In the first stacles to new energy investment. largely chosen to pretend doesn’t exist.
place, Democrats arrive at their deficit They even rejected an amendment to But Democrats quashed any attempt to
reduction assumptions using some ex- prevent Democrats’ new electric vehi- divert money to address the border cri-
tremely fuzzy math. A substantial part cle tax credit from going to wealthy sis. Apparently, identifying gaps in
of their deficit reduction claims depend Americans. So apparently it is just fine tree canopy coverage is more impor-
on not extending a program that they to support measures that would drive tant than securing our southern bor-
have already called for extending and up Americans’ energy bills, but electric der.
on supposedly eliminating a rule that vehicle tax breaks for wealthy Ameri- Democrats went so far as to oppose—
at this point was never going to be im- cans have to be preserved, not to men- oppose—an amendment that would
plemented anyway. tion the irony of U.S. automakers re- have prohibited hiring additional IRS
But even using their rosiest assump- cently hiking prices on certain electric agents until additional Customs and
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
tions, the deficit reduction they would vehicles by $6,500 to $8,000, which Border Protection agents are hired to
have achieved with the Inflation Re- roughly matches the $7,500 tax credit help secure the border. You heard that
duction Act was wiped out completely in the Democrats’ inflation reduction right. Now, I am pretty sure Americans
8 days after the bill was signed by the bill. are more worried about our border cri-
President’s costly, reckless student Now, I have been a longtime sup- sis than what Democrats apparently
loan giveaway. porter of clean energy, but the fact of think is an IRS enforcement crisis. But
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September 8, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4501
clearly Democrats don’t want to let have torrential rain,’’ or, ‘‘Oh, boy, when millions and millions of people
border security get in the way of fund- ain’t it hot?’’ With everything being migrate from where they have lived
ing for the Green New Deal priorities equal, everything we are seeing today into new areas. The tragedies and dis-
or supersizing the IRS. will become worse in the years to turbances and destruction goes on and
It may have an appealing name, but, come. Let’s just take a brief look at on and on.
as the substance of the bill dem- what is happening right now in the In the past, a series of climate disas-
onstrates, the so called Inflation Re- United States and around the world. ters like these might have seemed like
duction Act is nothing more than the The past 8 years have been the hot- a silly plot in a bad movie about the
latest installment of Democrats’ big test years in recorded history. Right apocalypse. Unfortunately, however,
government and big spending agenda. now, the western half of the United what we are living through now is not
It will do nothing to address the real States is experiencing its worst a movie. It is reality. This is what we
economic challenges facing Americans, drought in over 1,200 years. Right now, are experiencing right now in front of
and it will do nothing to address Amer- in California, Nevada, and Utah, they us. Again, this entire scenario—what
icans’ priorities. What it will do is are experiencing recordbreaking heat we are seeing now—will almost defi-
spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer waves. nitely become worse in the years to
dollars on Democrats’ socialist and big Historic rainfall and devastating come if the United States, China, and
government fantasies and raise taxes floods took place over a 5-week stretch the rest of the world do not get our act
to help pay for it. Meanwhile, our infla- this summer in eastern Kentucky; together and break our dependency on
tion crisis and our border crisis and ris- eastern Illinois; St. Louis, MO; Death fossil fuels.
ing crime will continue. Valley, CA; and Dallas, TX. These are One of the strange ironies about this
I yield the floor. supposed to be once-in-1,000-years tor- moment is that, if the United States
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- rential rainfalls, and we are seeing did all of the right things tomorrow, it
pore. The Senator from Vermont. them coming all together within a few would not be enough. We need the co-
CLIMATE CHANGE weeks. operation of China and of countries
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I rise Right now, Europe is experiencing its throughout the world. We as a planet
this morning to express my strong op- worst drought in over 500 years. And are in this together, and we are going
position to the so-called side deal that let’s remember that when we talk to have to act decisively. In my view,
the fossil fuel industry is pushing to about drought, it is not only, ‘‘Boy, the largest economy in the world,
make it easier for them to pollute the isn’t it hot?’’ it impacts agricultural which is the United States of America,
environment and destroy our planet. production and the quantity and qual- must lead this effort. If we retreat, it
But, before I do, let me put my oppo- ity of food that we eat. sends a terrible message to countries
sition to this disastrous side deal into A massive heat wave in Spain and all over the world. If we retreat, clear-
a broader context. Portugal killed more than 2,000 people ly, what we will be seeing are more
As the father of four kids and the in July. Historically hot weather in floods, more rising sea levels, more ex-
grandfather of seven, I very much wish London and China literally melted treme weather disturbances, more
that I did not have to say what I am bridges, airplane runways, and roof- ocean acidification, more drought,
going to say, but the most serious chal- tops. Let me repeat that. The ex- more famine, more disease, and more
lenge facing our country and the entire tremely hot weather in London and in human suffering.
world, far and away, is, in fact, the ex- China this summer literally melted Today, to all of my colleagues here in
istential threat of climate change. bridges, rooftops, and airplane run- the Senate who have kids and grand-
That is not the opinion of BERNIE ways, with all of the consequences that children—I think that is almost every-
SANDERS, who failed physics in college. that has. body—I just ask you to think ahead 10,
That is what the scientific community Recordbreaking forest fires in Europe 15, 20 years. Think about the discus-
is telling us in a virtually unanimous have already burned 1.6 million acres of sions you will be having with your kids
voice. land—56 percent more than the pre- or your grandchildren when that young
The latest report from the United vious record set in 2017. That is a size person looks you in the eye and says:
Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on that is over eight times bigger than Dad, Grandma, what did you do to save
Climate Change, the IPCC, is very New York City. the planet?
clear, and it is very foreboding. If the Recordbreaking drought in China has I want you to think about that.
United States, China, Russia, and the caused parts of the Yangtze River to We all know that climate change is
rest of the world do not act extremely completely dry up. The Yangtze River real. We know that climate change is
aggressively in cutting carbon emis- is the third largest river in the world. caused by carbon emissions. No one
sions, our planet will face enormous It is the source of drinking water for disagrees with that. We know that cli-
and irreversible damage. In fact, the 400 million people. mate change is already causing dev-
world that we will be leaving to our Catastrophic rainfall and massive astating destruction throughout the
kids and to future generations will be- floods have been going on for weeks in world. We know that, if we don’t rap-
come increasingly unhealthy and un- Pakistan, killing at least 1,200 people idly transform our energy system away
inhabitable. That is not BERNIE SAND- and displacing another 10 million as from fossil fuels and toward energy ef-
ERS. That is the virtually unanimous one-third of Pakistan is now under- ficiency and renewable energy, the sit-
conclusion of the scientists who study water. uation will only become much worse,
this issue. If all of this is not sobering enough and our planet will face irreparable and
The truth is that we don’t need the and if it is not frightening enough, a irreversible harm. That is the simple
scientists or another study to tell us glacier in Antarctica that the sci- reality.
what is happening. We see it with our entists have dubbed the ‘‘doomsday Yet, given all that we know and
own eyes here in the United States and glacier’’ has been in ‘‘rapid retreat’’ given all that the scientists are telling
all over the world. The American peo- and is melting much faster than pre- us, what is the U.S. Congress about to
ple, today, and people throughout the vious predictions. Without this glacier do? Well, the U.S. Congress is seriously
globe are seeing the devastating im- and its supporting ice shelves, sea lev- considering legislation to provide a
pact climate change is having on their els could rise by 3 to 10 feet, which huge giveaway to the fossil fuel indus-
communities and their families—with could cause entire coastal communities try to drill, produce, and sell more oil
their own eyes. That is what they are to flood and go underwater forever. We and gas.
seeing right now as I speak. are talking about major cities here in Really? At a time when climate
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
Please understand—and this may be the United States and across the world change is threatening the very exist-
the most important point I want to that could be underwater in the coming ence of our planet, why would anybody
make this morning—that, with every- decades. be talking about substantially increas-
thing being equal, what is happening Just think for a moment about the ing carbon emissions and expanding
right now will become worse and worse massive dislocation, turmoil, and fossil fuel production in the United
and worse. This is not, ‘‘Oh, boy, we international tensions that will occur States? What kind of message does this
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