Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative John Hall (D-NY19) today blasted the Senate for obstructing a vote on the comprehensive and historic Energy Bill that the House passed yesterday by a firm bipartisan majority.  The bill would make a major investment in renewable energy and put the United States on a path toward energy independence.  The House-Senate compromise version of the bill, which passed the House by a vote of 235-181, would lower energy costs, create new “green” jobs, reduce the United States dependence on foreign oil, and begin to fight global warming.  Today the Senate voted 53-42 to close debate on the bill, falling short of the 60 votes needed to permit a vote on passage.  Although a majority of Senators supported the bill, the Republican leadership blocked consideration of the bill – requiring a super majority of 60 votes to end debate.

 

"Americans are ready to lead the world on clean alternative energy," said Hall.  "The Senate's blockage of this bill and President Bush's stubborn opposition are defying the will of the American people.  Americans are ready to declare energy independence from foreign oil—to strengthen our national security, grow our economy, reduce energy costs, and end global warming."

 

The bill includes several measures that Congressman Hall has fought for.  In addition to a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) mandating that all utilities nationwide produce 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, the bill will also require that all vehicles in the United States average 35 miles-per-gallon by 2020, the first such increase in federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards since 1975.  It has been estimated that the increase in CAFE standards alone will reduce American oil consumption by 1.1 million gallons per day in 2020 (half of what is currently imported from the Middle East), while the combination of both the CAFE increase and the Renewable Energy Standard will cut American carbon emissions by 1,530 tons, or 19 percent, during that time. 

 

After the House and Senate passed different versions of the energy bill over the summer, Hall led with Freshman House Democrats in writing to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to fight for the inclusion of both the increase in CAFE standards and the RES in the final compromise version of the bill.  The House originally passed a bill with the RES but no federally mandated increase in CAFE standards, while the Senate approved the CAFE increase but left out a Renewable Energy Standard. 

"Washington has dragged its feet for too long on global warming," said Hall.  "It denied the problem and let oil companies and foreign governments call the shots.  Comprehensive energy reform is needed to secure America’s future."

Hall has been an environmental activist and an advocate for clean, renewable energy since the late 1970s, when he co-founded the group Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE).

In addition to establishing the CAFE requirement and the Renewable Energy Standard, the Energy Bill also would make a historic and unprecedented investment in American-grown biofuels, trains 3 million workers for new “green” jobs.  It includes tax incentives for cutting-edge clean energy research and the usage of solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal technologies.

The bill is now in the Senate, where Senators are again negotiating a compromise version that could muster the 60 votes needed to end debate and allow for a vote on passage. 

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