On June 26, 2009, the House passed H.R. 2454, American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, with Congressman Kanjorski's support.
Click here to view the energy bill.
Click here to view the section by section summary of the energy bill.
Click here to view a summary of the economic analysis prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of the energy bill.
Congressman Kanjorski provided the following statement explaining his vote for the energy bill:
"By no means is this energy bill perfect, but today,
refusing to act was not an option. We
need to begin the process of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, creating
clean energy jobs in America,
and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
Change in our energy economy will not happen overnight, but it is clear
that in this situation, the positives outweigh the negatives. The University of Massachusetts
estimates that 1.7 million jobs will be created by transitioning to a clean
energy economy.
"I deeply understand the real concerns regarding the
additional costs for consumers and businesses that are essential to the
economy, especially during these difficult economic times, and I hope that the
bill which emerges in consultation with the Senate will further address these
concerns. I believe that the small
incremental costs associated with this bill are a small sacrifice that we can
all make to ensure the well being of this country in the long-term. The Congressional Budget Office estimates
that subsidies for low-income families included in the bill will result in
annual savings in energy costs of about $40.
Furthermore, according to a recent study released by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, as a result of energy efficiency measures in
this legislation, all consumers' utility bills will decrease about 7 percent in
2020.
"I commend President Obama for taking on this ambitious
effort to move our country toward greater energy self-sufficiency and
environmental sustainability, and I believe this bill is a reasonable first
step toward reaching a goal that I think we all share."
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