Monthly Archives: June 2009

The American Clean Energy and Security Act is the most important environmental and energy legislation in our nation’s history. Today’s vote is a huge achievement for the country and the climate, and we applaud Speaker Pelosi, Chairmen Waxman and Markey, and all members of the House who helped craft this landmark legislation and get it passed.

The bill that emerged from the House has the fundamental structure we need to significantly reduce carbon pollution while growing the economy. It puts a strong cap on emissions and reorients our energy market to make low-carbon power the goal. It ensures that utility rates will stay affordable and a competitive playing field for U.S. companies.

Today’s vote opens the door for President Obama to sign comprehensive climate legislation into law this year. The extensive negotiations leading up to the vote helped form extraordinarily broad support for the bill as it moves to the Senate. Chairmen Waxmen and Markey bridged the traditional sectoral and regional divides of energy politics to produce legislation that has support from labor unions and businesses across the economy, to rural interests, environmental advocates, and agriculture groups.

The bill puts the U.S. on the path to significant emissions reductions, a stronger economy, and a new position of leadership in the global effort to protect the climate. We look forward to working with the Senate leadership to meet Majority Leader Reid’s September target for finishing committee work on the bill.

Claim:

“[The American Clean Energy and Security Act] will come down hardest on the poor.”

— Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), 6/26/09

Truth:

Actually, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says low-income Americans will benefit the MOST from this bill. The CBO calculations show that low-income Americans will actually see a net cash gain from this bill, as the value of emission allowances is rebated back to consumers.

In contrast, it’s the cost of doing nothing that would fall most heavily on the poor: from greater health-care costs because of expanding disease vectors to the destruction of homes from catastrophic weather events , it’s the poor who will disproportionately suffer.

Instead of disingenuously trying to hide behind the least fortunate among us, Mr. Cantor should step up and support this legislation — legislation that would create job opportunities across the economic spectrum. Most importantly, jobs that would provide pathways out of poverty for Americans who need them most.

Claim:

“This bill is a blueprint for unilateral economic disarmament of the U.S.”

— Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA), 6/26/09

Truth:

The American Clean Energy Clean Energy and Security Act will boost our economy by creating manufacturing jobs and investing in clean energy.

www.LessCarbonMoreJobs.org is an interactive website that analyzes the manufacturing jobs that are being created, and the many more that will be created under the ACES Act.

The ACES Act will also protect our families’ wallets and electricity bills.

Claim:

“This will bring us back to hunting and gathering.”

— Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), 6/26/09

Truth:

Really? We’ll go back to hunters and gatherers? Yikes!

Since the survivalist skills we’ll need have fallen into disuse, perhaps we should all take a trip to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum to learn about hunting and gathering before the collapse of civilization. Americans will need to familiarize ourselves with edible plants — big printings of the Peterson Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants should commence right away.

This kind of absurd hyperbole does nothing to advance arguments against this bill. Contrary to what Rep. McCotter may think, America’s future under this bill is clean and prosperous, not apocalyptic.

Claim:

“By most reasonable estimates we will lose jobs .. Look at Spain (for every job they gained, they lost over 2)”

— Nathan Deal (R, GA), 6/26/09

Truth:

The so-called “study” that Congressman Deal refers to has been widely debunked. Even that crazy lefty rag, the Wall Street Journal, did a story outlining the numerous ways in which it was flawed.

No big surprise there, though. Turns out the author of the study comes from a group funded by ExxonMobil.

The preponderance of economic impact studies point, instead, to the great potential for economic growth and job creation by shifting to a clean energy economy. That’s why this bill is widely supported by both labor and business groups. They know that if all you ever do is all you’ve ever done, all you’ll ever get is all you ever got.