How many times have we tried to pass clean energy bills since we took over in Jan 2007?
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ACTION!
Beat McCain's Energy Bill Veto Here!
About 20 great clean energy bills have successfully passed in the House where we have a decent majority, but were shot down in the Senate by McCain's veto pen, before they even got to Bush.
Most famously, the Energy Bill of 2007 was whittled down to being merely a CAFE bill, with McCain making the deciding veto against cloture. Terrific clean energy policy has lost repeatedly, by his one vote.
Today we have one last shot at passing that clean energy policy before the PTC phases out at the end of this year, killing off windfarms yet again despite the fact that everybody knows that The Production Tax Credit pays For Itself (this bill just extends this one year - at least gets it into the next administration so we can extend it in 2009)
Read all the details of good clean energy policy in The Jobs, Energy, Families and Disaster Relief Act of 2008 - S3335 including the $4000 Solar ITC (and a decent extension till 2016 of the 30% credit for commercial solar roofs - every big building should be solar farmed!)a little PHEV subsidy and so much more.
Why do we have a chance this time?
Clean Energy Is Disaster Relief
Max Baucus is trying a new approach designed to bypass McCain's usual cloture veto that has killed every clean energy bill we try, by connecting clean energy with disaster relief. Even Red States are not immune to climate change induced disasters. Atlanta's drought, Iowas floods... The Water infrastructure bill which shored up levies and disaster protection like wetlands got enough Red State support to overcome not just the usual McCain veto, but the Bush veto too. By including disaster relief there is finally some softening of the old flatearth filibuster reflex against clean energy, and so we just might pass this thing - even over McCain's dead body.
This is a terrific reframing of clean energy, in fact. Dirty energy = more disasters. More carbon emissions will bring more catastrophes. Duh.
Clean Energy Is Disaster Relief
Its like gmoke's framing -
Solar Is Civil Defense
Max Baucus put together a close version of the (passed) House bill HR 6049 for the Senate. Since its so close to that House version, and has the funding provisions attached, and includes disaster relief, we could do it this time.
Contact your Senator NOW!
Senate Switchboard: (202) 224 3121
Especially Red State constituents: Today we must contact Red State Senators even world famous flatearthers: there's lots more like this one with their dreams of a dirty tomorrow...wake them UP!
Say what YOU want.
More disasters?
Or a clean energy future:
vote.
Senate Switchboard: (202) 224 3121