Madam President, something else happened this afternoon in Washington that I wish to relate today on the floor, which is that the American Enterprise Institute hosted the launch of Senator Schatz's and my American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act. I am delighted the American Enterprise Institute did that. Their conservative credentials are rock solid, but they do not fear debate, and they were extraordinarily helpful and open-minded in allowing us to make the announcement and in hosting a discussion on the bill that followed. Virtually every person on the Republican side who has thought the climate change problem through to a solution has come to the same place--a revenue-neutral, border-adjustable price on carbon. That means that all of the revenues are returned to the American people. Former Treasury Secretaries Baker, Shultz, and Paulson--all Republicans--former EPA Administrators Ruckelshaus, Thomas, Reilly, and Whitman--all Republicans--and leading economists and former Presidential economic advisers Arthur Laffer, Gregory Mankiw, and Douglas Holtz-Eakin--all Republicans--along with many others, support a revenue-neutral, border-adjustable carbon fee. Well, that is what we do. You all know the phrase ``offering an olive branch.'' Former Republican Congressman Bob Inglis described our proposal as an olive limb, not a branch, when pairing a carbon tax with corporate tax reduction.…
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Mr. President, let me thank our Democratic leader for that very kind intro. I will confess that I come to the Senate floor today with a pretty heavy heart. The effort that we are engaged in right now is going to be extremely damaging to…
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Would the Senator care to engage in a brief colloquy? I ask unanimous consent that we be allowed to do so. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island is recognized. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Everybody in the caucus wants an opportunity to vote for a clean 30-day [continuing resolution] that puts us on a pathway to regular, legit appropriations.





