James Comer: “My colleague's amendment, unlike some others offered, would not eliminate requirements for inflation-impacted…”

“My colleague's amendment, unlike some others offered, would not eliminate requirements for inflation-impacted assessments. What it would do is overburden the assessments with a host of issues that do not have much to do with inflation. What are those issues? The list is quite extensive, but let me highlight a few. There are the annual economic values of publicly provided goods and services, higher education, and time spent on leisure activities and outdoor recreation. There are the annual economic costs of lost leisure time due to traffic congestion, accidents involving motor vehicles, and the depletion of the ozone layer. In other words, inflation would no longer be the bill's focus. Under this amendment, it would just be one factor among many other things, but that is how we got to where we are. Inflation is running rampant precisely because the administration is ignoring the inflationary impact of its policies, and it is ignoring the deep harm that inflation is inflicting on the American people. That is why inflation should be the focus of this bill. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.”