Pinch Me – This must be a Nightmare
By Congressman Mike Simpson

Boise, ID – “St. Patrick’s Day bears some unique traditions. The idea that forgetting to wear green for the day could cause you to get pinched could be described by some as crazy or even loony. Yet, it’s all in good fun.

“A reporter recently asked about how I felt about the Green New Deal and I called it ‘Crazy and Loony‘. Unlike a holiday tradition, this legislation is not all in good fun. Proposed as an economic and environmental transformation, the Green New Deal is an irresponsible ploy that should have our nation green with nausea rather than envy.

“Last week, we celebrated National Agriculture Week. In Idaho we understand the journey from farm to table. The crusade against “farting cows” might be considered noble or a bit funny by some in the Bronx, but to the ranchers who are up before the sun feeding cows, this isn’t a joke. The attempts of the Green New Deal to devastate the agriculture industry do not go unnoticed in Idaho.

“It isn’t just the attack on our agriculture community that makes this a bad deal. Architects of the Green New Deal fail to embrace the essential role that nuclear energy will have in the future of clean, renewable energy. Any serious attempt at promoting a carbon free solution would place a priority on the backbone of US carbon-free energy -  nuclear power. It sounds like a visit to the Idaho National Lab to see the groundbreaking innovation would be of value to many of my colleagues who support this ‘new deal’.

“With a price tag that could be as much as 93 trillion dollars, yes that’s with a ‘t', you can start seeing where the term ‘Green’ comes from. At 93 trillion, the Green New Deal would cost more than the entire recorded spending of the US since the Constitution went into effect in 1789. Compare that to a more contemporary number, the World Bank estimates the global gross domestic product at 81 trillion. On top of that, this debt is built on a premise that insults hard working Americans by guaranteeing a living wage even if you are “unwilling” to work. If someone is getting a deal here, it is not the taxpayers.

“As I speak with constituents about this issue, I ensure them that I place a high priority in being a good steward over this land. I have and will continue to work across the aisle to protect our forests and to promote alternative energy research. But to sell out one of our most important industries, and to saddle ourselves with an insurmountable debt, well frankly that would be just crazy and loony.”

###