Sanders Calls on Speaker Hastert to Hold a Vote on Comprehensive Clean Energy Plan

Sanders Calls on Speaker Hastert to Hold a Vote on Comprehensive Clean Energy Plan

—Congressman Bernie Sanders today held a press conference calling on the Republican leadership to allow debate on comprehensive sustainable energy legislation that will address the crisis in global warming and at the same time create millions of good-paying jobs. In a letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert, Sanders called for a vote on the New Apollo Energy Act (H.R. 2828), a comprehensive clean energy proposal he has cosponsored that would emphasize conservation, create millions of clean energy manufacturing jobs, decrease dependence on foreign oil, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), and Paul Comey, vice president of environmental affairs at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (one of the largest employers in Vermont) joined Sanders at the press conference. Sanders' letter to Speaker Hastert is attached.

Sanders said, "With gas prices hovering around $3 and global warming threatening life as we know it on our planet, it is time for President Bush and the Republican Party to get behind real solutions that will protect our environment and lower energy prices for consumers. This legislation offers real changes to revolutionize our energy policy."

The New Apollo Energy Act would reduce our dependence on foreign oil by seeking to make the United States a leader in clean energy solutions. The program would create millions of new jobs to support the transition to clean energy, which would include building new and efficient mass transit systems, restoring our infrastructure, and utilizing the potential of solar, wind, hydrogen, and other technologies. The legislation would also give incentives and tax credits to encourage corporations and consumers to switch to clean technologies. The Act would pay for itself by closing abusive corporate tax shelters and loopholes and bringing in new revenue.

Sanders said, "The bottom line is that if we act boldly and focus on conservation and sustainable energy we can not only protect our environment from global warming and illnesses caused by environmental degradation, but also create millions of new and good-paying jobs. The economic and environmental potential is almost unlimited. This is a win-win situation and it's an historic opportunity that we just cannot afford to ignore."

http://bernie.house.gov/documents/document.asp?issueNum=4917