Slaughter Statement on GOP Bailout of Fossil Fuel Industry

WASHINGTON, DC — As President Obama convenes world leaders to press for a landmark accord to combat climate change, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter today called-out congressional Republicans for moving in the opposite direction by putting forward yet more anti-environment giveaways to big polluters. House GOP leaders are preparing to consider three bills this week that would increase carbon pollution and fail to make investments in the clean energy of the future. As the Rules Committee convened a meeting to consider sending these three anti-environment bills to the House Floor, Rep. Slaughter issued the following statement:

“The ice sheets are melting, seas are rising, oceans are becoming more acidic, and the atmosphere is full of more climate-changing pollution than at any time in the last 800,000 years. The earth – humanity’s only home – is changing before our very eyes yet Republicans are doubling down on the dirty fossil fuel pollution of the past instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to develop a sustainable, clean energy future.

“Instead of helping our energy innovators to lead a renewable energy revolution that tackles climate change while creating good-paying, clean-energy jobs, congressional Republicans want to take us backward with costly reductions in energy efficiency and policies that promote more air pollution around our homes, playgrounds, and parks. The American people are clamoring for a Congress that confronts the great challenge posed by climate change, yet this Republican majority continues to ignore science while doling out favors to the big corporations that fund their campaigns. The American people deserve and need better.”

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