climate bill in the senate

[Ladywriter 7,783]

got this today...

The U.S. House passed a huge energy bill Friday. Lots of good people are

applauding the passage of this legislation. But here's the ugly truth:

Big Oil and Coal lobbyists, working in cahoots with some conservative Blue

Dog Democrats, weakened the bill terribly--it now falls far short of

President Obama's campaign vision to transition America's economy to clean

energy and create millions of new jobs.

In fact, the bill repeals a key part of the Clean Air Act and doesn't do

nearly enough to shift America to renewable energy--so instead of a boom

in solar and wind, the bill locks us into dirty coal power for another

generation.1

Working with progressive champions in the House, we were able to achieve

modest gains at the eleventh hour (see details below). But saving the

Clean Air Act and fixing other problems with the bill as the fight moves

to the Senate will require a massive grassroots outcry.

So we have a decision to make: Should MoveOn launch a full-court press to

fix the bill, and turn up the heat on senators who might be tempted to

side with Big Oil and Coal?

Click to vote:

"Yes. Let's fight to save the Clean Air Act and fix the energy bill."

"No. I don't think we should do that." (And tell us why.)

We'll go forward if 2/3 of us who vote think it makes sense.

It's not necessarily an easy choice. Of course we won't stop working on

health care or other issues, but this will require significant resources.

All of us will need to pitch in to make sure our senators get the message.

And there are certainly thoughtful people who say the bill is the best we

can do, and we should focus solely on passing it.

You can read differing views on the bill from a variety of leading experts

by clicking here. But here's one indication of how far it got weakened:

During the floor debate last week, conservative Democrats openly bragged

that the bill would result in "increased coal use."2 They urged others to

support it because the Clean Air Act rollbacks in the bill would stop

President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency from setting new rules

for global warming pollution.3

Most people haven't heard much about these problems in the bill, which

runs over 1,200 pages and was negotiated mostly behind closed doors. But

as progressive leaders in Congress have spoken out, momentum to fix the

bill has grown.

Nearly 50 members of Congress, led by Reps. Chellie Pingree and Keith

Ellison, signed a letter calling for the bill to be strengthened.4 And

Rep. Lloyd Doggett was one of several who spoke out on the day of the

vote, saying, "The fine print [in the bill] betrays its laudable purpose.

The real cap is on the public interest and the trade is from the public to

the polluters."5 A few even voted against the bill to spotlight its

problems.6

To win in the Senate, we need to make sure everyone understands that the

Clean Air Act is under attack and highlight the other big problems with

the bill. If we decide to proceed with this campaign together, we'll boost

progressive champions like those who fought in the House, and expose

conservatives who do the bidding of the oil and coal industry.

It's a big step--we'll need to work even harder, and organize even better.

And it's up to you.

Should we go ahead with a big campaign to fix the problems with the energy

bill as it moves through the Senate?

Click here to vote yes: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51552&id=16469-11954441-fXg6vrx&t=23

Click here to vote no (and tell us why)

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51551&id=16469-11954441-fXg6vrx&t=24

Thanks for all you do.

--Justin, Eli, Michael, Laura and the rest of the team

obviously I want to keep bitching and nagging and kickin and having a fit so they don't pass it as is

[Ladywriter 7,783]

here ya go

The debate on global climate change now moves to the Senate, and --

unfortunately -- our fight is far from finished.

Please send a message to your U.S. senator today and voice your

support for action in the Senate to pass and strengthen comprehensive

legislation to address global warming and help wildlife like

America's polar bears and other wildlife survive the impacts of climate change.

Take action online now at:

http://action.defenders.org/site/R?i=1lulef602ke0pBTvmSvGTg..

As someone who has spent many years advocating for the environment on Capitol Hill, I can tell you that the narrow passage of the American

Clean Energy and Security Act (219-212) means that the road to

enactment of this vital legislation will be a rocky one.

You can expect legislative shenanigans from Big Oil's

high-priced lobbyists, more distortion and propaganda from the

big-time polluters and more stalling tactics from their allies in the

Senate.

We've overcome these challenges before, and we can do it again.

But we can't win for our polar bears and other wildlife without

your help.

Michelle, your

Senator's vote will be critical in the debate ahead, so please

send a message to your Senator right now.

With Gratitude,

Robert Dewey

Vice President, Government Affairs

Defenders of Wildlife