On the recordMarch 6, 2012
It's interesting, our colleagues do talk about jobs. We want to be able to create jobs, to be able to facilitate that opportunity for Americans to be able to go back to work, to be able to create clean energy right here in the United States. As my colleague was pointing out, a commonsense piece of legislation. We're going through existing conduits, what we call in our part of the world ditches, to be able to capture that energy, to be able to deliver it to allow local decisions to be able to be made. But our colleagues seem to want to make sure that we're standing up, or they are standing up, for the status quo, and that just means say no--say no to clean energy. No, join with us and support clean energy and hydroelectric power. You're saying no to jobs. Join with us to be able to create jobs right here in this country and be able to put our people back to work. We have enough red tape. This amendment will simply grow more government. And as we saw from testimony in our committee and charts that have been shown during this debate, there's no need to put more expense on the backs of the American people, who simply cannot afford your stand to build more government. This is an amendment that deserves to be rejected. I ask for that, and ask for a favorable vote on H.R. 2842. I yield back the balance of my time. The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison). The amendment was rejected.
