S.Amdt. 3756

SA 3756. Mr. WHITEHOUSE submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed to amendment SA 3679 proposed by Mr. McConnell (for Mr. Thune
(for himself and Mr. Nelson)) to the bill H.R. 636, to amend the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing
limitations, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the
table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) There is scientific consensus based on sound scientific
evidence that climate change is occurring due to increases in
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
and that human activity has caused a significant increase in
the amount of these greenhouse gases.
(2) Scientific measurement shows that the concentration of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere ranged from 170 to 300 parts
per 1,000,000 for at least 800,000 years, which is 4 times as
long as the species Homo sapiens has existed, but, in
measurements taken at the Mauna Loa Observatory in each of
the 2 years preceding the date of enactment of this Act,
exceeded 400 parts per 1,000,000.
(3) Transportation emissions accounted for approximately 28
percent of total carbon dioxide emissions in the United
States in 2012, with emissions from the aviation sector
representing about 12 percent of transportation emissions in
the United States.
(4) Commercial-only aviation emissions in the United States
are projected to grow by almost 25 percent by 2030.
(5) Climate change diminishes the efficiency of fixed-wing
and rotary-wing aircraft by increasing the likelihood of
takeoff weight restrictions due to warmer ground level air
reducing the lift force on the wings.
(6) Climate change increases the likelihood of clear-air
turbulence, which already injures hundreds of passengers and
causes structural damage to aircraft.
(7) The 2015 primer of the Federal Aviation Administration
entitled ``Aviation Emissions, Impacts & Mitigation''
acknowledges that ``emissions associated with commercial
aviation . . . degrade not only air quality but also the
broader climate,'' and will hurt the health and welfare of
society.
(8) The scientific consensus about climate change and the
findings from the Federal Aviation Administration support the
conclusions that--
(A) climate change poses a challenge to the growing
national aviation industry of the United States; and
(B) aviation activities have a measurable effect on
climate.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) climate change is real and human activity is
significantly contributing to climate change;
(2) the scientific consensus on climate change and the
findings of the national aviation community that climate
change poses real challenges to the growing aviation industry
of the United States are not products of a hoax or deception
perpetrated on the people of the United States; and
(3) reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the
effects of climate change is in the national interest of the
United States.
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