Should too so, thank you so much for being here and thanks to by calling senator whitehouse and carbon and berkeley and for joining us here today, uh we just came from an emergency meeting of the Senate, climate cast force where we discussed how the Republican tax Him legislation would harm renewable energy in the United States if you thought the Republican tax plan, wasn't bad enough. The host and Senate tax bills, both contain provisions added at the behest of their fossil fuel allies meant to kneecap to clean energy, blue collar job revolution in the United States. If these Republican provisions not removed from the final bill, they could destroy tens uh of thousands of clean energy jobs in the United States that is why my colleagues and I are sending a letter today to the members of the conference Committee on the Is tax scam urging them to remove these attacks on renewables. I let a calls for the conference Committee to remove are exempt renewable energy companies from the so-called base rhodesian and anti abuse tax off the beaten tax which could cripple financing for renewable energy projects. While this provision is complex it's appropriately named because the effect is simple, it would beat down clean Energy in the United States we are also calling for the rejection of a provision in the House bill that would slash tax credits for wind and restrict win and how wind and solar companies could qualify for federal tax credits and finally, we have urging the countries to remove the House provision that would eliminate the 70 500 dollar tax credit for electric vehicles. If not removed. This produce Would pull the plug on plug in electric vehicles together. These provisions could put in end to half of the 35000 megawatts of wind projects plan in the United States between now and 20 20 they couldn't peril. The 39000 megawatts of solar that are in the pipeline. We are projected to have more than 200000 megawatts of wind in solve by the year 20 20 but not if this Republican tax scam becomes law, just the uncertainty created by the inclusion of these provisions has already put 20 billion dollars in investment in clean energy on hold when it comes to wind and solar. This Republican tax legislation isn't about deductions. It is about reductions in the amount of clean energy. We generate in the United States. This tax skin isn't about The tax code it's about undermining clean energy. This tax camp would cripple the production of wind energy while giving wind falls to the Super wealthy. In our country. This tax scam would encourage corporations to offshore jobs while doing nothing for offshore wind and the tens of thousands of jobs. That could be created here at home in that industry Republicans in the Senate were hand were hand writing chain Is into the margins of this bill at the very last minute and if these provisions removes this tax plan will marginalize clean energy in the United States. We are right now pledging to fight to ensure that this Republican tax skin legislation does not take a machete to blue color clean energy job creation in America the people who we are fighting for our electricians and roofers uh You are installing soul, steel workers who fabricating uh the winter boots, 500000 of these jobs will be in existence by the year. 20 20 if we can keep the existing tax program on the books, they're intense the fossil fuel Republican party is two destroyed the future of these blue collar workers in our country, we are not going to allow that to happen. Let me know, turn to recognize other great senator from until the late us. Thank you and thank you all for be Here um in December of two thousand 15, a number of us help negotiate an agreement that would provide five years of certainty to the exploded wind and solar industry which is providing so many jobs across the country and in return. The falls of fuel industry got its ability to export that was a deal that was made now during the period of Deal Republicans are breaking it's fundamental terms for solar and wind and they're doing it in tricky crafty ways, varied in this partisan bill. One is the beat tax that senator marky referred to in a bill that prides itself on reducing taxes. They add a new tax in one area and that is for people who, by the tax credits of the wind and solar developers retroactively, they go back Ken restate the standard for what starts and entitles businesses to a tax credits investments that have already been made and projects that are already underway. Risk losing the construction definition that gives them the right to their tax credit and finally, the inflation adjustment for inflation. That has happened gets stripped out and taking away. None of these provisions affect other industries. You don't see things like this else, where In this deal, the renewable energy sector is a unique target of this bill and reflects how badly the Republican party has now come into this way of the fossil fuel industry. The fossil fuel industry gets according to the international monetary fund. A 700 billion dollar subsidy every year just in the United States of America that's not enough for them 700 billion dollars and a Active subsidy is not enough. No, they have to also come after this fledgling industry. That is now providing more jobs than coal mining. Let it grow. Let the future come stop using the tax code to pay off your political allies. Let's get this bill cleaned up and I'll turn. It over now to senator cardin on everything Center whitehouse 51 thanks senator market has been our real leader on the renewable areas and the importance of that. I wanna underscore one point there's, a reason why many of us Speaking out since the beginning of this debate on taxes that you have to have an open process, the using a partisan reconciliation process will lead to disasters results and we're saying yes, we've been able to get the American people to focus on the fact that this bill hurts Middle income tax payers. That it has a large hole in the deficit wanted to hear trillion dollars the Senate bill 13 million people will lose their their health coverage vote bill. It will cause a direct assault on Medicare and medicaid we made that point. I think Americans get that, but there are hundreds of other issues that are in this tax bill. They're gonna cause problems and today we're here to underscore one of those issues and that is a direct attack on the renewable energy sector is not even subtle. It's an effort to protect the fossil fuel industry is pretty clear. I can tell you as a member to Senate finance Committee that we had many bills I've been followed by Democrats and Republicans and effort to try to be balanced on energy policy in this country. They were considered in this tax I'll instead, they took a direct attack against the renewables they did that in regards to the tax credits, five make giving on certainty as to how long they will be there by adding a new condition, go call continuous construction which will add uncertainty to the ability of having this credit and what they did in the Senate bill on the base erosion by using tax credits is a qualifier to the base erosion provisions. All that is done at the back of The pros pleasure of the fossil fuel industry so that they can have an additional advantage because they know the economics today and senator Mark he's been one the champions in pointing out the economics here they know that the economics, renewable do well so there putting obstacles in away from the nobles in order to protect the fossil fuel industry and I think senator Mark in my colleagues for calling attention to that. We would hope that the conference Committee would at least be neutral on this issue if not try to remove some of the advantages that we put in the tax code for the fossil fuel industry, so that we really can have an energy policy in America that's good for our environment. Good for our security and good for our Economy and what that will be turned over to senator berkley. I'm, please to be here with my colleagues fighting for renewable energy future for United States of America. The text code is being rigged right in front of our eyes as being rigged against the Middle class and for the very wealthy nation and its being rigged for the fossil fuel industry and against renewable energy. Look at how these provisions stack up for the fossil fuel industry the deductions for grilling are still in place for the fossil fuel industry Preferential a County rules are still in place for the fossil fuel industry. There's, a new provision in the Senate. The lone star loophole which allows master limited partnerships in the fossil fuel industry to pass for their funds and be taxed at a very low rate intended for small businesses. But we see only in assault on renewable energy the cap on the production tax credit at one point, five cents. We see changes To those sees retroactively which is absolutely unfair to investors across the country we see the House bill with its elimination of the subsidy for buying a credit for buying electric vehicles. What do we see across the world on electric vehicles. Well, we see a China and France and Germany and Britain in Norway, doubling down on the strategy of electric vehicles and what we see here in America, a sabotage that industry Or, for the season, so we should be going in the opposite direction. We should be fighting for clean and renewable energy in order to take on climate disruption at this very moment, fires are raging in California because of climate disruption. A few months ago, those fires were raging and oregon and Montana and Idaho and Washington state because of climate disruption, we have three hurricanes coming assault the United States harvey and ermine Maria because of climb Disruption shouldn't, we be helping clean energy to reduce those assault and United States rather than subsidizing fossil fuels. We need to take on the call further cartel. We need to reverse these provisions and we need to fight for text revisions that help us take on the enormous damage from climate destruction and now it's my pleasure to introduce senator char. Thank you very much. Thank you. Everyone um. I thinking back to when I first got to the Senate, senator went through all of the natural disasters that we've seen uh in the last year 10 years ago we heard To money over and over again, of what we would see that we would see more wild fires in California. That we would see more of hurricanes that we would see more disruptions to our climate and that is exactly what we are seeing yet with this tax code. Does is it takes us in the opposite direction. Our state dependent on the fact that our country would make proven policy in line with what our defense Department said in line with our military has been saying forever and that is that we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. They did smart things in the state They did smart things and advocating for federal policy now our state is six among States for wind energy production, producing enough electricity for almost one million homes. 10 years ago under Republican governor with a Democratic state Legislature, we set a goal of getting 25 percent of our electricity. I legislative goal from renewable sources by 20 25. We are almost there so we set those goals, depending on federal policy the industry is out of 20 900 jobs alone clean energy jobs, goo 78 percent in our state from two thousand to 20 14 at the same time, we've been growing trial foot fuels and our whole philosophy has been let us invest in the workers and the farmers of the midwest and not the oil cartels in the mid East it's work for us, our unemployment rate in the metro area lowest in the country. Our unemployment rate in our state one of the lowest are big energy company excel strong supporter of wind and solar are smaller Co op's harder for them, but they have started to Doing it big time with their members having having solar panels that their members investing so it's been a big change. Well, what do we see with this bill. The base erosion and I've used cat. My colleagues are pointed out the problems with cripple the financing structure that friends most investments in wind and solar energy projects and makes it extremely hard for these projects to get up and running it's collateral damage, but it's not just collateral damage the environment which is number one it's also collateral damage to Economy and we must change it and I think my colleagues especially Center marquee and whitehouse for their leadership, senator bennet, thanks. Thank you, Center market for your appointment salt, together businesses in Colorado up in arms about the tax provisions in the Republican bill mm, jobs in renewable energy employ thousands of workers in my state and Republican bill puts them in jeopardy, threatening to cut more than 11 billion dollars in benefits to the wind industry alone and despite the disasters affect this bill will have on their new energy industry there's, not In one here to get feedback from people in my state or any state in the country, my office has been contacted by many small business owners who depend on this credits. People like in a small business owner in Fort collins, Colorado. This company employs 30 people or businesses dependent on solar and wind energy and she's worried should have to reduce your workforce of those credits rolled back in this political climate they're, not many issues the both Democrats and Republicans can agree on the tax credits for renewable energy An area where we have bipartisan support is senator marc pointed out. We had a deal on this. 20 15 in there trying to unwind it without having any sort of hearing. Republic discussion tax that's. Why makes actually no sense to me. What is Congress within years of that agreement and risk on doing this credits would, if it would have a Rep herbal effects on the economy in Colorado and make this terrible voting tax bill. You and worse it's imperative the color runs and all Americans Raise their voices and demand a fix to these provisions. There were written in the Middle of the night. Their Republican colleagues in the Senate to claim that they didn't know this was being put in the bill. That's now ridge man without a turnover senator, little uh. Thank you very much to senators whitehouse and market for this effort and to all of my colleagues at k. This issue is one where there is clear bipartisan support to do the right thing and to do what the Can people want American people want renewable solar, wind and other renewables and they want to expand the tax credits that encourage them not reduce them. Connecticut is the fuel cell capital of the United States. Perhaps the world and yet it is hand strong by the failure to provide tax credits for fuel self technology and industry. This measure is Environmental killer it's a job killer. It is a self inflicted wound. It is an unforced error at a time when we are losing jobs because of forces that we cannot control this measure actually undermines our efforts to create new jobs and, as harmful as it is to the environment as the much of a trail, it is of American values. It is also plain and simple. A job killer. Thank you great So uh yeah so the wind industry of saying that all investment has just frozen know in the wind sector where the new 20 billion dollars of investments not frozen once that tax bill of move through um and merry the ceo of general motors, is saying the same thing about the impact all the removal of the 70 500 dollar tax break for electric vehicles so this is without question, a direct assault on job creation in sectors that are growing very rapidly so it's Here in the question you may have, we Republican College here really see should stop you stand right. Are you have a conversation with them about post this touch. My neck stand with bill uh. Well, that's what we're beginning here this week we're gonna send a letter um, then we're going to of work to try to create a bipartisan fix to each and everyone of these provisions, not one of them all of them. This is without question Assault there is no assault on any oil gas or coal tax break. This is without question, not benign neglect. This is a designed to collect all been energy sector of that is growing very rapidly so we are going to try to create a bipartisan um effort to do so. Um but I think only by more public attention than putting a spotlight on can be successful. You just add with Center marketing, send saying earlier the impact of this bill It became all of any of the provisions we've talked about will create tremendous on certain to get best within the renewable and absence of investors, because of the provisions that are included in here. When we get around to the general tax extender in dealing with the energy sector, we don't know you could be months. It may not happen uh. We know how long it's been dealing with a lot of the issues in the tax code that we haven't dealt with for years so the the Impact on the renewable investors and sector will be immediate and we're not gonna be able to correct that um. There, some that damage with permanent, just to be clear that 20 billion dollars that has been identified as being frozen investment that would be going out to build facilities and employee individuals that 20 billion dollars is frozen. Now, just from the prospect of this legislation, do it gets cleared up so just a threat What the falls of fuel industry is trying to do through his Republican allies has already have this employment and investment impact in the renewable sector. Could use a design is the very parts and process have you heard. Anyone on the other side, both in expressing the same views as you and what you think our prospects of actually getting instruction from the fire bill with heard that there are some Republicans who are concerned but our ability to assess the problematic possibility Success inside of the Republican caucus is very limited as you can imagine, uh um this is clearly a targets you know, combined with the clean power plan with pulling Paris, um. It is without question uh, a designed plan to harm the renewable energy the electric vehicle revolution so um that's why we are now going to stand as a unit and and try to find a way which we can being together with whatever Republican support we can find we hope they'll correct us in conference There is no trying to standards vehicle right now to attach this to and the energy conversation is, should say, not very developed. This point is to be a bipartisan energy bill, so this is the moment. This is the bill and if Republicans disagree with this assault on the renewable sector, this is their time. Question is been so just speaking up for counterparts President trump is to keep all that as one of your thoughts. Many of you are Democratic colleagues had called the president's resignation in life of allegations against him, love sexual misconduct or your thoughts on that in back rooms Well, with let's, do this energy, without I'll talk you have to switch to the energy issues hit with the energy reports everyday yup okay. Thank you also, yes, rated are there specific people on the House. Video so they're really really getting back to their story um again will allow them to speak for themselves whomever. They maybe but um going forward this is just the beginning of a two week effort we're going to make you want to make sure that this whole clean energy sector is not destroyed uh. I plan That That is is clearly clearly well. well. Thank Thank you you so so much much thanks thanks