H.R. 4447, called the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, is a 1,206-page climate bill that would create a goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, in line with recommendations by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The bill also creates and reauthorizes multiple grants favoring “clean” energy sources. And it includes multiple provisions requiring federal government cooperation and integration with international organizations and standards.
The House passed H.R. 4447 on September 24, 2020 by a vote of 220 to 185 (Roll Call 206). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the bill advances a radical environmentalist agenda and increases federal government meddling in the energy market. Under the Constitution’s Interstate Commerce Clause, the federal government is empowered “to regulate Commerce … among the several States” only to prevent the restriction of the free flow of goods among the states. Moreover, H.R. 4447 infringes on U.S. sovereignty and will cause energy costs to skyrocket.
