Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, Fiscal Year 2016 -- Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, speaking first to amendment No. 341, a
principal challenge in our society today is how do we create better
jobs with better benefits for working families.

There are some industries that clearly have done that. Those include
the energy industry and, by extension, the low cost energy being
produced domestically that in turn is creating new manufacturing jobs.

To further this process, I will first point out that over 85 percent
of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf is closed off to energy exploration
and production.

Opening the American OCS, as it is called, will provide hundreds of
thousands of jobs and increase our national security by increasing our
energy security.

My amendment encourages the security and these jobs by opening up
America's Outer Continental Shelf to energy exploration and production.

Amendment No. 539. I am a doctor. I have been working in the public
hospital system of Louisiana for the last 25 years caring for the
uninsured. I am so aware of the importance of safety-net programs such
as Medicaid. I point out, though, that Medicaid is a broken program--so
broken that it is bankrupting State governments and contributing to our
runaway national debt.

The question is how do we preserve this important program but, at the
same time, also preserve the financial integrity of our State
government, of our Federal Government, and, if you will, ultimately the
pocketbook of the taxpayer.

This amendment would build upon proven models that will provide
financial security for the patients who benefit from Medicaid as well
as for the States that provide those benefits for those Medicaid
patients.

This is an important beginning to reform Medicaid to preserve its
benefits, but, again, to protect the American taxpayer.

Lastly, amendment No. 795. I return to what I said earlier. A chief
challenge now is how do we create better jobs with better benefits for
working families. Those jobs oftentimes are in construction, mining,
and manufacturing.

The EPA is promulgating new regulations which they estimate for
ambient air quality standards, which they estimate the cost of
compliance will be $3.9 billion in the year 2025.

This is estimated to decrease our gross domestic product by $140
billion, a $3.9 billion cost, leading to a $140 billion decrease in our
economy. Inevitably, there are lost jobs associated with it, working
families that are less well off.

The EPA would prevent construction of manufacturing and energy-
intensive enterprises.

My amendment ensures the American energy and manufacturing
renaissance is not interrupted by EPA's costly regulation. It preserves
those jobs for the American people.

I yield the floor.

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