Pass a Cap-and-Trade System

PASS A CAP-AND-TRADE SYSTEM -- (House of Representatives - April 17, 2008)

(Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, I want to share a little note of optimism we heard yesterday in our Global Warming and Energy Independence Committee. We had a group of venture capitalists and investors come before us, and they told us that they were supremely confident that America can create a clean-energy economy that is based on new types of technology so we can solve our global warming problem and wean ourselves off our addiction of Middle Eastern oil. It was very heartening. But they told us they need one thing to really open up the floodgates of technology. They need a cap-and-trade system to cap carbon dioxide and really spur investment.

The President yesterday gave short shrift to that. He was disappointing. We've got to provide leadership here to get this job done. His message was sort of a ``can't-do'' message for a ``can-do'' people, we Americans. Let's get this job done. Pass a cap-and-trade system. We will have a burst of new economic growth in this country.

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