Senate Cloture Vote Fails On Anti-Environmental Energy Bill

(21 November 2003)  Environmental Defense today praised the U.S. Senate for voting down an outmoded energy bill that would have increased America’s oil dependence while virtually ignoring its environmental impact.

“We hope this is a first step in the bill’s quick death,” said Environmental Defense legislative counsel John Bowman. “The bill fails to address energy efficiency, renewable energy and new energy technologies that might lead to decreased energy dependence and increased energy reliability. It ignores climate change and air pollution and perpetuates America’s reliance on fossil fuels.”

One obscure provision (that was not debated in either chamber) would have prevented the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from downgrading the clean air compliance status of cities and counties, letting communities with unhealthy air off the hook from tackling serious air pollution problems. 

The bill included a host of taxpayer giveaways to inefficient energy industries, including the coal and oil industry, the nuclear and ethanol industries, this taxpayer money could be put to better use in spurring the development of renewable energy resources, energy conservation and efficiency programs.

“On top of the billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks for energy companies, the real cost of this bill would be increased air pollution, oil spills, water pollution and continued delay of any real U.S. action to curb its impact on climate change,” said Bowman.

“We applaud the Senators who voted against cloture today and implore them to maintain their position should this measure be considered again,” said Bowman.  “No member of congress can credibly claim to care about the environment and vote for this bill.”

[To view the roll call on Senate.gov click here.]