As the father of two children, I want to give my son and daughter the opportunity to raise their families in a safe environment where they are able to enjoy the beauty of nature. President Bush's Clean Skies Initiative is a step forward in achieving this goal. In the next decade alone, the Clean Skies Initiative will eliminate 35 million more tons of pollution than the current Clean Air Act.

As a member of the Interior Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, I have strongly supported clean coal programs, energy efficiency, and energy conservation initiatives. As the Co-chairman of the 224 member House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, I embrace sustainability issues and clean energy funding at every level. We should move to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fund technology that will make our air cleaner and safer.

In our area, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is already spending $5 billion on scrubbers to help improve our air quality. The President's Clean Skies Initiative has air quality mandates that will force the TVA to spend an additional $3-5 billion to bring Tennessee to code. I have included a summary from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which will illustrate the positive benefits the Clean Skies Initiative will have on Tennessee.

We must act decisively to protect public health and safety. We need to work together to find innovative solutions for the environment without harming economic progress. I know we can do it, we must do it, and we will do it.