ELPC Joins President Obama in Urging Congress to Pass Clean Energy Legislation
Friday, January 29, 2010
During his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke on climate action and clean energy:
We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities – and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy-efficient, which supports clean energy jobs … You see, Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China is not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany is not waiting. India is not waiting. … These nations aren’t playing for second place. … They’re making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs. Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America. … Yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America. I am grateful to the House for passing such a bill last year. And this year I’m eager to help advance the bipartisan effort in the Senate. … [H]ere’s the thing – even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy-efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future – because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation. –President Barack Obama, [State of the Union Address, 1/27/10]
ELPC’s Federal Legislative Director Karen Torrent, emphasizes the importance of the President’s message. “Despite this strong and positive statement by the President, our climate and economy remain at risk – - and Congress must act,” she said.
ELPC joins the president in urging the Congress to finalize bipartisan, comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year. Passing comprehensive legislation will not only benefit human health and protect our environment but will also decrease our dangerous dependence on oil and create much needed new American jobs, putting our economy on a path to long-term, sustained prosperity.
