Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, this motion is nothing more than a distraction from the underlying legislation that we're considering today, and the journey that we began in January of 2011 to cut government spending, to create jobs and, today, to stop the administration's war on the coal industry.

We, all of us in this Chamber, sat here a little over a year ago, and we heard an address by the Prime Minister of Australia. She started her speech off by saying, you know, I remember being a young girl, sitting on the floor of my living room watching as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon.

She went on to talk about that era of innovation in America, what that meant and how that inspired the rest of the world. Do we need to be reminded that it was the coal industry that fueled America's innovative engine and powered America's innovative wheels during that period of innovation? I don't think so. Today's underlying legislation, it's about the thousands of jobs that have already been cut from the coal industry, the thousands more that are in jeopardy to be cut from the coal industry.

It's about the millions of Americans and America's businesses that are paying skyrocketing prices, 23 million Americans underemployed, and yet we've got an administration that wants to attack the very reliable energy source that would fuel a resurgence in manufacturing and put America back to work.

Ladies and gentlemen, I implore to you, defeat this motion to recommit. Vote on the final passage of this legislation today. Let's get America back to work and stop the administration's war on coal.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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