An excerpt of remarks by House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence:

Raising the cost of energy is a bad idea in prosperous times. Raising a national energy tax in the worst recession in a generation is a profoundly bad idea. But for anyone looking in, Madam Speaker, let me say we are in the minority as we have been reminded with some firmness in this debate on occasion today. We don't have the votes to stop this bill. But you do. If you oppose the national energy tax, call your Congressman right now. If you think we can do better to serve the interests of the American people and achieve energy independence with an all of the above strategy, call your Congressman right now. Alexander Hamilton said it best: “Here, sir, the people govern”. We can stop this bill.  We can do better, and so we must.