Today, the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, S. 1733, by an 11-1 vote. The Senate Finance and Agriculture Committees must now promptly debate and vote on the provisions of the bill under their jurisdiction.
On the afternoon of the first day of committee deliberations on the bill, Environmental Protection Agency Director of Congressional Affairs David McIntosh appeared before the committee to reiterate that S. 1733 and the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454, were so similar that computer models would produce nearly the exact same result.
The Republican committee members’ quixotic boycott of the measure is really designed to help defeat, weaken, or stall clean-energy legislation. Outside the Capitol this effort is lead by Big Oil and the Chamber of Commerce. Inside the Capitol, Environment Committee Republicans are seeking still more analysis as an excuse for delay. In fact, at least four of the committee’s seven Republicans announced their opposition to the legislation before the bill was even introduced. They are boycotting the committee to get more analysis of a bill they already oppose.
These and other opponents of clean-energy and global warming pollution reduction legislation are ignoring the numerous benefits of action, and the huge economic burden of business as usual. As old New York Yankees Manager Casey Stengel used to say “You can see a lot by looking.” In their faux search for more information about the Clean Energy Jobs Act, opponents of the bill aren’t seeing its myriad benefits. Now that the Senate Environment Committee has passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act, perhaps other senators will take a look.
Here are some benefits of the bill and why it should be passed by the committee (for a discussion of each of these benefits, click here:
1. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will enhance national security
2. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will create jobs
3. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will increase American competitiveness
4. The EPA finds the Clean Energy Jobs Act is affordable
5. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will save oil
6. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will produce income for farmers
7. The Clean Energy Jobs Act is an “all of the above” bill
8. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will reduce electricity bills
9. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will train workers for the clean-energy jobs of the future
10. The Clean Energy Jobs Act would protect the most vulnerable people
11. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will drive competition and innovation
12. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will give a boost to manufacturing sector
13. The Clean Energy Jobs Act has public support
14. Business leaders want clean-energy reform
15. Inaction will harm the economy
Source: http://bit.ly/1TvqSD