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NWF Opposes Senate Energy Bill

Take action by   Friday, October 17, 2008

NWF Opposes Senate Energy Bill!  Refer to the September 16, 2008 letter from Larry Schweiger for details.

The Senate is expected to take up legislation in response to high gasoline prices later this week.  In the Senate, members from both sides of the aisle (the so-called Gang of 10) introduced a proposal, The New Energy Reform Act of 2008 that NWF strongly opposes.  

There are two important things you can do!

Please contact your Environmental Champion Senators and tell them NOT to sign onto this bill.

or

If your Senators have signed onto the Gang of 10 Bill please contact them and tell them that we are very disappointed in them for signing onto this bill.

What we expect in a new energy bill:

- We need a bill that includes REAL energy solutions such as; Strong Renewable Standards, Tax Incentives for Clean Energy, Cuts in Subsidies for Big Oil, Automotive Retooling to produce advanced fuel efficient vehicles,  and Energy efficient Homes and Buildings

- We need a bill that DOES NOT include Coal to Liquids and Oil Shale, Rollback of Environmental Safeguards on biofuels, and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other National Treasures

Senate Champions that need to be contacted and reminded of what we expect in an energy Bill

John McCain R-AZ
Barbara Boxer D-CA
Dianne Feinstein D-CA
Christopher Dodd D-CT
Joe Lieberman I-CT
Joe Biden D-DE
Mel Martinez R-FL
Bill Nelson D-FL
Daniel Akaka D-HI
Daniel Inouye D-HI 
Tom Harkin D-IA 
Richard Durbin D-IL
Barack Obama D-IL
Ben Cardin D-MD
Barbara Mikulski D-MD
Olympia Snowe R-ME
John Kerry D-MA
Ted Kennedy D-MA
Carl Levin D-MI
Debbie Stabenow D-MI
Claire McCaskil D-MO
Max Baucus D-MT   
Jon Tester D-MT
Frank Lautenberg D-NJ
Robert Menendez D-NJ
Jeff Bingaman D-NM
Harry Reid D-NV
Hillary Clinton D-NY
Chuck Schumer D-NY
Gordon Smith R-OR
Ron Wyden D-OR
Bob Casey Jr. D-PA
Jack Reed D-RI
Sheldon Whitehouse D-RI
Jim Webb D-VA
Patrick Leahy D-VT
Bernie Sanders I-VT
Patty Murray D-WA
Maria Cantwell D-WA
Russ Feingold D-WI
Herbert Kohl D-WI
Jay Rockefeller D-WV

About the Senate Bill:
The Gang of 10 New Energy Reform Act contains a number of elements that would be significant steps in the wrong direction on breaking our addiction to fossil fuels and reducing global warming pollution. The top of the list are the Coal to Liquids (CTL) subsidies and the changes to the biofuels provisions of the 2007 energy bill.  Both would lead to significant increases in global warming pollution. 

Although the Gang of 10 Bill contains a number of elements that NWF supports - such as cutting oil subsidies and extending clean energy tax incentives - the CTL provisions are a deal breaker for NWF.  It also leaves off the table several key NWF priorities, such as a Renewable Electricity Standard.  

The proposal as a whole is not a balanced compromise as its proponents claim.  It is heavily tilted toward increasing fossil fuel production and increasing global warming pollution.