Barbara Boxer: “I will yield to Senator Merkley, but before I do, I was so glad to hear a Republican say he wants to work on jobs. I…”

“I will yield to Senator Merkley, but before I do, I was so glad to hear a Republican say he wants to work on jobs. I would just say to my friend before he leaves, the CEO who runs the pipeline says there will be 35 permanent jobs. OK. I would like to suggest to my friend that if he truly wants to help the middle class, he ought to join with us first in raising the minimum wage, which is critical, and, secondly, embracing a clean energy future while we still use, where it is safe, domestic oil production, clean coal, things we can do that don't threaten the air our children breathe, pollute the water they drink, and destroy the planet. To hear a Republican stand and talk about jobs is music to my ears, but I would like to put into the Record a report I just got from my California people at home who say: California's climate policies are reducing carbon emissions, saving consumers at the pump, cutting oil use, and cleaning our air. California's economic recovery has outpaced the rest of the country since the so-called ``great recession,'' while our state has implemented the nation's strongest climate policies. . . . California can reduce greenhouse gas pollution while growing the economy; we have been doing it for the last 35 years. Innovative energy policies over the past three decades have saved Californians $56 billion on household energy costs and allowed them to reduce expenditures on imported fossil fuels and redirect spending to create 1.5 million full-time jobs.…”