Stem Education Coordination Act of 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. BROUN of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I'm a scientist, a medical doctor; and I believe wholeheartedly in science education. Whether this bill is a good idea or not remains to be seen. Whether it will pass or not, I think that it probably will.

The thing that concerns me is the education of the American public about not only the money they spent on this--which we don't have--but the money that is going to be spent and taken out of their pockets for what is called cap-and-trade here in this House of Representatives and in the Congress of the United States.

This administration, the leadership in the House and the Senate, are forcing upon the American people a policy that is going to increase taxes on every single household in America over $3,100 per family--that's rich, poor, and between. The people on limited incomes, the retirees, are going to be hit the hardest because experts agree that they spend more of their income on energy-related sources than any other thing.

It's also going to run up the cost of food, medicine, things that everybody buys. In fact, every good and service in this country is going to go up because of this tax-and-cap, as I call it--or cap-and-tax, cap-and-trade legislation that is being brought to this floor, and it's going to be forced down the throats of the American people.

The President himself said that it was going to increase electricity costs for all Americans. The President also said that it's about revenue. It's not about the environment. He said if this is not passed, then he won't have the money to force the socialized medicine program that he's trying to introduce in this Congress and wants to pass by the August break. The American people need to be educated about how bad this policy is. We've got to stop it.

Republicans have offered many alternatives to a non-stimulus bill. Our alternatives were not heard. To a housing crisis, our alternatives were not heard; to a banking crisis, our alternatives were not heard. Over and over again, Republicans have offered alternatives that the leadership in this House have been obstructionists and not allowed those things to be heard.

The American people need to understand that. We're headed down a road of socialism, of communism, of greater control of people's lives and the loss of the control of your money and your freedom. And the American people need to stand up and say ``no.'' I do believe in science and education, but the American people need to educate themselves to the bad policy that the leadership in this Congress are forcing upon them, shoving down their throats as a steamroller of socialism that's being forced down the throats of the American people that's going to slay the American economy.

It's going to kill jobs. This cap-and-tax legislation is estimated to cost somewhere between 1.7 to 8 million jobs. The President says it's going to create green jobs. Well, in Spain, their cap-and-tax has, for every job created, they've lost 2.2 jobs.

It's wrong for America; it's wrong for the working people; it's wrong for the poor people; it's wrong for the retirees. It's absolutely the wrong thing, and the American people need to be educated about that. Stand up and say ``no'' to cap-and-trade legislation.

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