‘The bill we are voting on today is a massive tax hike, not a serious attempt to make law’



Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Friday on cloture on the House-passed energy bill:



“There's a difference between passing bills—and actually making laws.



“The bill before us is a prime example: The Democrat leadership started with a bipartisan agreement that could be passed in both houses and signed by the President. In other words, it could become law. They’ve chosen, instead, to add the twin millstones of utility rate hikes and massive tax increases.



“The end result is that the House passed a bill—but it won’t become law.



“There's a difference between making a partisan point, and having an accomplishment.



“Again, we can look to this current bill as an example. Rather than take the elements of the bill that had near-universal support and have an accomplishment on behalf of their constituents, the Democrat leadership chose instead to make a partisan point.



“Now, I understand that the House is a different place, that the Speaker rules, as the Senate Majority Leader put it Wednesday, with an ‘Iron fist.’ And while she can muscle bills through the House on a party-line vote, it doesn’t work that way over here.



“We’ve shown that all year on the numerous political votes the majority has put on the floor. And we’ve shown that already this week on the AMT: When the Democrat leadership tried the my-way-or-the-highway approach, the bill failed; when they worked with us on a bill that could pass, we succeeded by a vote of 88-5. That was a success.



“The same is true of the farm bill: When the Democrat leadership tried to dictate to the minority what amendments we could offer, the Senate spun its wheels and got nowhere. But when the majority worked with us, the result was a mutually beneficial agreement that will soon lead to an accomplishment.



“But the bill we are voting on today is a massive tax hike, and a utility rate increase for consumers across the southeast. It is not a serious attempt to make law, and is not a serious attempt at an accomplishment. It is a partisan bill that must be improved or set aside.



“So let’s not waste even more time relearning the lessons of the past 11 months. If you're serious about an accomplishment, let’s fix this bill. Walking away from a bipartisan deal in favor of raising taxes and utility rates, as the Democrats in the House have done, will not make law. But working with us to find common ground to increase the use of renewable fuels and raise fuel economy standards to historic levels without costing American jobs, will.



“I stand ready to work with my colleagues on a realistic, bipartisan bill. But I will vote no on this partisan tax increase, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”



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