No time like now to pass climate bill – Rep. Henry Waxman …

The House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act on a bipartisan vote of 219-212 last June.

This was the first vote for comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation in either the House or the Senate, despite decades of concern about our dependence on foreign oil and the dangers of global warming.

Many said that passing this bill would be impossible. But the case for clean energy and climate legislation is compelling. there was broad public support that included business and environmental advocates, and members found approaches that could work for all regions of the country.

My Senate colleagues tell me that passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation there could be even more difficult. But the necessary elements for success exist. We have the best opportunity in decades to act.

In fact, the economic, national security and environmental imperatives for action have only grown stronger since June.

We need comprehensive energy and climate legislation to create jobs now and build a strong economy for the future.

Our economy continues to struggle with intolerable unemployment levels, even as we begin to emerge from a devastating recession.

The CEOs of major energy companies have told Congress that they are deferring billions of dollars in capital investments in energy infrastructure until the regulatory uncertainty surrounding carbon pollution is resolved. The benefits of clean energy are not reflected in current market pricing, which depresses domestic demand for clean energy and slows the development of those industries.

Moreover, our inaction means that we are in danger of losing these new energy markets to China and other nations.

Comprehensive energy and climate legislation will resolve these regulatory uncertainties, create market-based incentives for clean energy and support massive new investment in clean energy technologies.

This will unleash private and public investments that could create 1.7 million new American jobs, according to a study by the Center for American Progress. and it bolsters U.S. global leadership in clean energy technology, supporting high-paying American jobs for years.

No time like now to pass climate bill – Rep. Henry Waxman …


Related Websites