Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Michael Bennet, Sheldon Whitehouse, Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp are offering an amendment to the Senate’s budget proposal to promote national security, economic growth, and public health by prioritizing efforts to address climate change.
“Colorado can’t wait any longer for Washington to address climate change. Unchecked carbon pollution represents a material threat to our state and its economy – whether it’s a shorter ski season, the increased threat of wildfire, or a multi-year drought imperiling our $40 billion dollar agriculture industry,” Bennet said. “This amendment demonstrates that we’re serious about combatting climate change and will work to increase investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and reducing carbon pollution.”
“Climate change is already affecting every state in America, threatening our health, our economy, and our national security,” said Whitehouse. “Respected leaders from the Secretary of Defense to our scientists at NASA agree that we must act soon to protect our national interests. This amendment will give Senators an opportunity to show that they are ready to address this serious threat.”
“There is no question that climate change is real and that billions of people have impacted the world’s climate,” Manchin said. “This amendment supports investments in clean energy technology – including advanced fossil energy – and supports energy efficiency, which reduces carbon while saving customers money. We can protect the environment for future generations while ensuring that we have affordable and reliability energy sources today.”
“The impacts of climate change have the ability to influence every state, including North Dakota, which is why I’ve been working to help bring the multifaceted, clean energy innovations – like carbon capture technologies and increased wind energy development – that North Dakota has been perfecting to the forefront,” said Heitkamp. “We need to take steps to reduce carbon emissions and promote energy efficient technologies across this country by working with our utilities to make sure we are developing a diverse, environmentally and economically responsible energy policy.”
In order to protect our economic and national security, the amendment promotes investments in clean energy technologies, energy efficiency measures, and the reduction of carbon pollution.
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