{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases/zinke-bipartisan-bill-disapproving-bidens-planned-carbon-tax-passes-house", "Zinke Bipartisan Bill\u00a0Disapproving of\u00a0Biden\u2019s\u00a0Planned\u00a0Carbon Tax Passes House Floor", "2024-03-21", "2024", "2024-03", "Republican", "House", "MT", "Ryan K. Zinke", "Z000018", "zinke.house.gov", "zinke", "https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives passed Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke\u2019s bipartisan resolution H. Con. Res. 86, expressing Congressional disapproval of President Biden\u2019s planned carbon tax. The Resolution passed the House Floor with a final vote of 222-196.\n\nAccording to the Energy Administration Information, if enacted, a carbon tax would cause:\n\nLoss of more than 1.4 million jobs.\n\nA total income loss of more than $40,000 for a family of four.\n\nAn aggregate gross domestic product loss of more than $3.9 trillion.\n\nIncreases in household electricity expenditures of 12% to 124%.\n\nThe impact would be far reaching beyond energy prices, there would also be downstream impacts to agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and construction industries, leading to potentially catastrophic increases in the costs of goods and groceries.\n\n\u201cNobody produces energy more efficiently or cleaner than right here in the United States,\u201d said Congressman Zinke. \u201cWhen I was Secretary we had the biggest production year on record and it was also the best safety year and we lowered emissions. So, the answer is not to punish domestic energy producers or Montana farmers, manufacturers, and consumers, which is exactly what a carbon tax does. The answer is to allow the private sector to continually innovate to make energy more sustainable and efficient while lowering costs and improving safety. There\u2019s no reason Montanans should be paying more because Biden is bowing to eco-green zealots and paying invoices to communists, terrorists and shady businessmen overseas to get what we have here at home.\u201d\n\nZinke continued: \u201cA carbon tax is bad for the economy. It\u2019s bad for national security. It\u2019s bad for the environment.\n\nEconomy \u2013 \u201cIf Biden implements a carbon tax, blue collar job losses are expected to top a million. And the impact on inflation will be even worse. Americans are already paying more for groceries than at any point in the last 30 years. A carbon tax would increase energy costs that would be passed on to consumers of goods and groceries when Americans are already struggling to stretch their paychecks under Bidenomics. The carbon tax is a regressive tax that hits seniors and families on fixed incomes the hardest.\u201d\n\nNational security \u2013 \u201cA carbon tax will make it more expensive to produce energy on our own shores and waters, and thus will increase our reliance on foreign energy sources. Under Trump we became the largest exporter of energy in the world. We used energy for diplomacy and national security. Our allies who rely on the USA for affordable and reliable fuel sources will be forced to buy from adversaries like China, Russia and Iran, completely undercutting our influence in the world and putting U.S. security at risk.\u201d\n\nEnvironment \u2013 \u201cWhen the US slashes production, which will happen as a result of a carbon tax and Biden\u2019s agenda, producers overseas who operate under little to no environmental regulations ramp up. This increases emissions, increases spills, and completely negates any negligible emissions reductions in the USA.\u201d\n\nIndiana Congressman Greg Pence said, \u201cIt\u2019s one disastrous plan after another from the Biden Administration. Jamming down a Carbon Tax to fund a left-wing extremist energy plan will do nothing but continue to hurt Hoosier families already suffering from policies meant to destroy American Energy Independence and make us more reliant on China.\u201d\n\nAlabama Congressman Gary Palmer said, \u201cNearly 20 million Americans are behind on utility bills because of the high energy costs and inflation levels currently facing our nation. These high energy costs are a direct result from President Biden\u2019s policies. If the Democrats had their way, they would tax every part of our lives. Instead of helping our environment, A carbon tax would do nothing but further increase high energy costs, putting even greater strain on American families already struggling to make ends meet. I appreciate Representative Zinke\u2019s leadership on this commonsense resolution.\u201d\n\nTexas Congressman Dan Crenshaw said, \u201cI want the American people to be able to afford the energy they need to heat and cool their homes, to have lower prices at the gas pump, and reduced costs at the grocery store so they can buy food. Instead, Biden wants to wreck our economic and energy security by implementing a carbon tax that will increase costs on everything we use and purchase to sustain our lives.\u201d\n\nPennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry said, \u201cBetween President Biden\u2019s economic policies and energy policies, American Citizens and residents of south central Pennsylvania can barely afford their groceries, gas, and electricity. A carbon tax \u2013 like the one Governor Shapiro wants to impose on the Commonwealth \u2013 does nothing except unnecessarily drive up the costs of necessities and incentivize energy producers to do business elsewhere.\u201d\n\nExecutive Director of Montana Petroleum Association Alan Olson said, \u201cIt's very clear that the economy is in tough shape, and a carbon tax would be an added cost on consumers\u2019 bottom line that is already breaking inflationary records. With Biden\u2019s carbon tax in place, the public will pay more at the pump, over the counter and when they pay their utility bills. Zinke\u2019s resolution is spot on \u2013 Biden\u2019s carbon tax plan is bad for Montanans and Montana business.\u201d\n\nCitizens for Responsible Energy Solutions President Heather Reams said, \u201cAmerica\u2019s global leadership in emissions reduction should be rewarded. Not only is implementing a carbon tax punitive for American industry, workers and families, it unfairly benefits our economic competitors which rely on dirtier energy production. CRES has never supported a carbon tax and thanks Representative Zinke for leading this resolution.\u201d\n\nZinke is joined by U.S. Congressmen Steve Scalise (LA-01), Scott Perry (PA-10), Mike Bost (IL-12), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Andrew Ogles (TN-05), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Mary Miller (IL-15), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Eli Crane (AZ-01), Stephanie Bice (OK-05), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Greg Pence (IN-06), Gary Palmer (AL-06), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Erin Houchin (IN-09) in sponsoring the resolution.\n\nPrior to the vote, Zinke delivered a speech on the House Floor in opposition of Biden\u2019s planned Carbon Tax which would kill the American economy. Watch the floor speechhere or read the remarks below.\n\nMr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to President Biden's planned carbon tax which would, quite frankly, kill the American economy.\n\nNow, nobody can dispute that America produces cleaner energy than our adversaries or allies. That's not in dispute. When I was Secretary of Interior, I came into office and we were producing 8.3 million barrels a day and declining. After two years of President Trump, we're the world's largest exporter of energy. And oh, by the way, we reduced emissions.\n\nWe had the record in safety, because nobody produces energy more cost effective or cleaner than we do. So, the answer is not to punish American producers, or Americans for having a resource and using them wisely.\n\nThere are three absolutes on the carbon tax. First of all, the environment. Undisputed, it is better to produce energy in this country under reasonable regulations, than to watch it be produced overseas with no regulation. That is not in dispute.\n\nSecondly, manufacturing economy, my good friend from Oregon, reminds us that hundreds perhaps have saved on their electric bills. I can tell you millions have not. When I was secretary gas was about two bucks a gallon. I think it's a little over that. If anyone looked at their last year's heating bills, or around the kitchen table at Thanksgiving, I think we paid a price. On our economy, what drives manufacturing? First is labor. We're not going to be competitive, paying wages that China or India can pay. Secondly, resources. The cost of steel is about the same and South Korea, as it is in Pittsburgh, where America has the edge are two things innovation, and energy. And today's energy is going to be different than tomorrow's energy needs. Data Storage, robotics, all require more and more energy. And that energy is not going to come from pixie dust and hope.\n\nThe third absolute is national security. This is an area I'm familiar with. I've lost a lot of friends and colleagues overseas, primarily fighting for other people's oil and energy. I think it's immoral to send our troops overseas and fight for a resource we have here. A carbon tax makes America less competitive. It forces families to pay more for groceries when they\u2019re struggling. And then also on our allies who now depend on low-cost American energy.\n\nNow we're going to do a transition to where? EV and China land. Does anyone realize that 85% of the critical minerals that power EV, lithium, nickel processing are all in China. So, the very idea that we would make ourselves less competitive and give the advantage to our adversaries. Who's going to produce energy? If it's not us, who will? I can make a list. Perhaps Iran, perhaps Venezuela, perhaps Russia. So, we either produce energy in this country under our regulations, for the environment, for national security, to run our country, or we seed, we retreat.\n\nThis carbon tax is a terrible, terrible idea. And Mr. Speaker, I yield back.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T20:32:04Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases/zinke-bipartisan-bill-disapproving-bidens-planned-carbon-tax-passes-house"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6403901390731335, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}