NickTaraewicz

ExecutiveSpeech

Thankyouall.Asmypeershavepointedout,Iamnotupforreelection.Thereforetostart,Id
liketoproposeacoupleofquestionsdirectedtocertaincomedianspresentintheRepublican
Party.

Q:Howmanyclimatescepticsdoesittaketochangealightbulb?

A:None.It'stooearlytosayifthelightbulbneedschanging.

Q:HowbadwastheBPGulfOilSpill?

A:Sobadtheystarteddrillingforwater!

Ishouldnthavetosaythis,butGWisrealandisourbiggestthreat.Thisbillisdrastic,but
drasticproblemscallfordrasticsolutions.WecantreversetheeffectsthatGWhasalreadyhad
onourplanet.But,whatwecando,istopreventthingsfromgettingworse.Thisbillwont
accomplishthis.

In2009,Imadeapledgethatby2020,Americawouldreduceitsgreenhousegasemissionsin
therangeof17percentbelowthe2005levelsifallothermajoreconomiesagreedtolimittheir
emissionsaswell.Today,Iremainfirmlycommittedtothatgoalandtosteeringtheworld
towardsasustainablelongtermenvironmentaltrajectory.ThanksinparttothisAdministrations
successindoublingAmericasuseofwind,solar,andgeothermalenergy,andinestablishing
thetoughestfueleconomystandardsinourhistory,wearecreatingnewjobs,buildingnew
industries,andreducingdangerouscarbonpollutionwhichcontributestoclimatechange.In
fact,lastyear,carbonemissionsfromtheenergysectorfelltothelowestlevelintwodecades

Whilenosinglestepcanreversetheeffectsofclimatechange,wehaveamoralobligationto
futuregenerationstoleavethemaplanetthatisnotpollutedanddamaged.Throughsteady,
responsibleactiontocutcarbonpollution,wecanprotectourchildrenshealthandbegintoslow
theeffectsofclimatechangesothatweleavebehindacleaner,morestableenvironment.

Billno.12015,alsoknownastheHolditallinAct,INITIALLYproposedacoldturkey
approach,whichwouldeventuallypositivelyaffecttheworldbystimulatingtheuseofgreen
energy.However,inthecurrentstateofthisbill,wedbetalkingastepinthewrongdirection.
Thebillproposestoaddmorefossilfueldevelopment,includingthefundingoftheKeystoneXL
pipeline,thatnullifiestheprogresswevealreadymadeinthefightagainstGW.Insteadof
rippingoffthebandaid,thisbillwouldmakethealreadyviciouswoundevenworse.Iwouldalso
liketopointoutthecurrentactionsbeingproposedintheParisClimateTalks.Asaglobal
leader,wecannotbeseenwalkingbackwardswhentherestoftheworldismovingforwards.

Itisforthesereasons,thatIvetothispieceoflegislation.

Movingon,Idliketodiscussbill22015,theDefenseSpendingRedistributionAct.AsImsure
youreallaware,theworldiscurrentlyinastateofgeopoliticalflux.Manythreatsarepresented
tothiscountryeveryday,especiallythosefromtheIslamicStateISIS.Forsevenyears,Ive
confrontedthisevolvingthreateachmorninginmyintelligencebriefing.AndsincethedayI
tookthisoffice,IveauthorizedU.S.forcestotakeoutterroristsabroadpreciselybecauseI
knowhowrealthedangeris.AsCommanderinChief,Ihavenogreaterresponsibilitythanthe
securityoftheAmericanpeople.Asafathertotwoyoungdaughterswhoarethemostprecious
partofmylife,Iknowthatweseeourselveswithfriendsandcoworkersataholidaypartylike
theoneinSanBernardino.Iknowweseeourkidsinthefacesoftheyoungpeoplekilledin
Paris.AndIknowthataftersomuchwar,manyAmericansareaskingwhetherweare
confrontedbyacancerthathasnoimmediatecure.

Imheretodaytosaythatthereisacure.Weneedastrongmilitaryforceinordertoprotectand
combatthisthreat.Asthislegislationbringstoattention,hardearnedtaxpayersmoneyisbeing
spentonoldandoutdatedmilitarytechnology.Weexistinthe21stcentury.Ourbiggestthreats
arentusingdialup,theyreusingthelatesttechnologyavailable.WeNEEDtobringourforces
uptodate.

Thisbillphasesoutantiquatedaspectsofourarmedforces,whilenotcuttinganyspendingto
themilitaryordisturbingitsfunctioning.Instead,thebillredistributesthosefundstoprocure
updatedtechnologythatwillultimatelyaidusinourfightagainstISISandanyfuturethreatsto
ourdemocracy.

Thisbillalsoincreasesmilitarywagestotheminimumwage.Inthefuture,Iwouldliketosee
thisnumberraised.Itistothosebothservedandservingthatwehavetothankforthe
protectionoflibertiesawardedtoeverypersonbothinandoutsideofthisroom.

ItisbecauseofthesereasonsthatIamsigningthisbilltoday,ontheeighthdayofthe12th
month,thisyear2015.

ButbeforeIgetoutmypen,Idliketosameonemorething.

IthinkitsfairtosaythatgettingthisbillthroughCongresshasnotbeeneasy.Ithasinspired
longandpassionatedebatesandthatsentirelyappropriateforourdemocracy.Thatshow
thiscountryissupposedtowork.We'resupposedtomakesurethatweairourdifferencesand
then,ultimately,Congressworksitswillespeciallyonissuesthatinspirestronglyheldfeelings
onallsides.

Sothisisagoodday.AndIwanttothankeverybodywhohashelpedusgethere.Wevegot
veterans,militaryandglobaldevelopmentgroups,andotheradvocateswhowereabigpartof
thisprocess.WevegotsomeoutstandingmembersofCongress,bothRepublicanand
Democrat,whocametogethertomakethishappen.Iamproudofthebipartisaneffortthathas
madethisbillpossible.

Withoutanyfurtherdelay,letsmakethisofficial!

Thankyouallforcoming.Beforeweadjourn,Idliketoinvitethismocksenate'sbenevolent
dictator,LoriFishertothepodium.Haveagoodnight.