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Congressional Record—Senate S5011

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Congressional Record—Senate S5011 July 12, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5011 The clerk will report the bill by title. COMMENDING THE TENNESSEE experienced its warmest June on record The senior assistant legislative clerk VALLEY AUTHORITY ON THE ever. Already this year there have been read as follows: 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNI- eight weather-related and climate-re- A bill (S. 2650) to amend the Internal Rev- FIED DEVELOPMENT OF THE lated disasters that each caused at enue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross in- TENNESSEE RIVER SYSTEM least $1 billion in damage. Globally, it come any prizes or awards won in competi- Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask was found that 2015 was the hottest tion in the Olympic Games or the year on record, and so far this year is Paralympic Games. unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. on track to beat last year. We can’t There being no objection, the Senate 528, submitted earlier today. even hold the record for a year—2016 proceeded to consider the bill. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The has been as hot as Pokemon GO—and Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask clerk will report the resolution by anyone watching the Senate floor to- unanimous consent that the bill be title. night who is younger than 31 has never read a third time and passed, the mo- The senior assistant legislative clerk experienced in their life a month where tion to reconsider be considered made read as follows: the temperature was below the 20th and laid upon the table, and that the century average. papers be held at the desk. A resolution (S. Res. 528) commending the That last happened in February of Tennessee Valley Authority on the 80th an- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without niversary of the unified development of the 1985. Ronald Reagan was starting his objection, it is so ordered. Tennessee River system. second term as President, and ‘‘Beverly The bill (S. 2650) was ordered to be There being no objection, the Senate Hills Cop’’ was the No. 1 film at the box engrossed for a third reading, was read proceeded to consider the resolution. office. If you went to the movies that the third time, and passed, as follows: Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask month, you probably saw a trailer for S. 2650 unanimous consent that the resolution what would be that summer’s block- buster, ‘‘Back to the Future.’’ Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- be agreed to, the preamble be agreed Well, that future is here. Tempera- resentatives of the United States of America in to, and the motions to reconsider be tures are increasing, sea levels are ris- Congress assembled, considered made and laid upon the ing, rainfall is more extreme, and the SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. table with no intervening action or de- oceans are more acidic. Why is that? It This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United bate. is mostly because of carbon dioxide States Appreciation for Olympians and The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without pollution that is released from the ex- Paralympians Act’’. objection, it is so ordered. traction and burning of fossil fuel. Vir- SEC. 2. OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC MEDALS AND The resolution (S. Res. 528) was USOC PRIZE MONEY EXCLUDED tually all climate scientists agree that agreed to. FROM GROSS INCOME. the climate is changing and that The preamble was agreed to. (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 74 of the Internal human interference with the climate is Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding (The resolution, with its preamble, is now the driving force of that change. at the end the following new subsection: printed in today’s RECORD under ‘‘Sub- Thanks to excellent investigative re- ‘‘(d) EXCEPTION FOR OLYMPIC AND mitted Resolutions.’’) PARALYMPIC MEDALS AND PRIZES.—Gross in- porting at Inside Climate News and come shall not include the value of any f other news outlets, we now know that medal awarded in, or any prize money re- ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY as far back as the 1970s, Exxon and the ceived from the United States Olympic Com- 13, 2016 other oil companies were following the mittee on account of, competition in the latest developments in climate science Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask Olympic Games or Paralympic Games.’’. and Exxon was undertaking its own re- (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment unanimous consent that when the Sen- search on the impact of carbon pollu- made by this section shall apply to prizes ate completes its business today, it ad- and awards received after December 31, 2015. tion on the climate. journ until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, The top leadership of Exxon was f July 13; that following the prayer and warned in July of 1977 by its senior sci- pledge, the morning hour be deemed NATIONAL LOBSTER DAY entist James Black: ‘‘In the first place expired, the Journal of proceedings be there is general scientific agreement Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask approved to date, and the time for the that the most likely manner in which unanimous consent that the Judiciary two leaders be reserved for their use mankind is influencing the global cli- Committee be discharged from further later in the day; further, that following mate is through carbon dioxide release consideration of S. Res. 513 and the leader remarks, the Senate resume from the burning of fossil fuels.’’ Senate proceed to its immediate con- consideration of the conference report That is from 1977 to Exxon from its sideration. to accompany S. 524, with the time own scientists. A year later in 1978, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without until 11 a.m. equally divided between that same scientist once again told objection, it is so ordered. the two leaders or their designees. senior management: ‘‘Present thinking The clerk will report the resolution The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without holds that man has a time window of 5 by title. objection, it is so ordered. to 10 years before the need for hard de- The senior assistant legislative clerk f cisions regarding changes in energy read as follows: ORDER FOR ADJOURNMENT strategies that might become critical.’’ A resolution (S. Res. 513) designating Sep- Ten years later in 1988, a memo laid tember 25, 2016 as ‘‘National Lobster Day.’’ Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, if there out Exxon’s position, which included There being no objection, the Senate is no further business to come before these three points: No. 1, emphasize the proceeded to consider the resolution. the Senate, I ask unanimous consent uncertainty in scientific conclusions Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I fur- that it stand adjourned under the pre- regarding the potential enhanced ther ask unanimous consent that the vious order, following the remarks of greenhouse gas effect; No. 2, urge a bal- resolution be agreed to, the preamble Senators MARKEY and WHITEHOUSE. anced scientific approach; and No. 3, be agreed to, and the motions to recon- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without resist the overstatement and sider be considered made and laid upon objection, it is so ordered. sensationalization of potential green- the table with no intervening action or The Senator from Massachusetts. house effects which could lead to eco- debate. f nomic development of nonfossil fuel re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without sources. objection, it is so ordered. CLIMATE CHANGE Exxon knew full well back then the The resolution (S. Res. 513) was Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, it is impact of carbon dioxide on the cli- agreed to. summer. It is supposed to be hot, but if mate and what that could mean to The preamble was agreed to. last month felt hotter than past sum- their businesses. Exxon, the Koch (The resolution, with its preamble, is mers, you are right. Last week the Na- brothers, Peabody Energy, and other printed in the RECORD of June 28, 2016, tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Agen- individuals and businesses whose prof- under ‘‘Submitted Resolutions.’’) cy, or NOAA, said the United States its might suffer under rules to reduce VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:59 Jul 13, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G12JY6.077 S12JYPT1 emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with SENATE S5012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 12, 2016 carbon pollution have had a vested in- So while the scientific community was and Global Warming, in the House of terest in stopping climate action for sounding the alarm, it has now been re- Representatives, I heard Dr. Happer decades. vealed that Big Oil and fossil fuel com- use the theatrics of a CO2 meter as That is why Congress still hasn’t sent panies conspired to mute that alarm, proof that climate change doesn’t comprehensive climate legislation to and the Marshall Institute soon be- exist. He advocated for the government the President. More than 50 years ago, came a critical part of their climate to support an ‘‘alternative hypothesis’’ in a special message to Congress on denial web. and to support his alternative hypoth- pollution, President Lyndon Johnson Mind you, we are not talking about esis, which was nothing more than the noted that ‘‘the increase in carbon di- the original George C. Marshall. He denial of climate change. Just last oxide from the burning of fossil fuels would have had no part of this. This is year, while the climate talks in Paris has altered the composition of the just the absconding of his name and were underway, Dr. Happer testified be- global atmosphere.’’ Since then, the having it placed above an institute— fore the Senate Commerce Committee, scientific evidence and observation of the Marshall Institute—which is now continuing to spread doubt.
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