Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today issued the following statement about the American Power Act, introduced last week by U.S. Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman:
“The Kerry/Lieberman proposal is a constructive step toward reducing carbon pollution and creating new clean energy jobs. I look forward to working to make sure the policies laid out in the legislation are sufficient to meet its ambitious goals. In particular, I am concerned with expanding offshore oil and gas drilling in the wake of the BP/Deepwater disaster in the Gulf of Mexico; favoring subsidies for traditional fossil fuels and nuclear power against investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency; preempting state based carbon programs; preserving important authorities under the Clean Air Act to protect public health; and the massive handouts to coal.
“With the help of Senator Graham, Senators Kerry and Lieberman were able to garner the support of the polluting industries for their bill. That is a valuable accomplishment. I look forward to working to merge this ‘industry bill’ with the bill passed by Senator Boxer and my colleagues on the EPW Committee to move our nation forward into a clean energy economy.”
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