Much of this weeks budget drama centered around what it will portend for clean energy legislation. At the end of it all, though, environmental groups are fairly united behind the final products.
Josh Dorner of the Sierra Club says, “We aren’t putting out a statement about passage, but obviously we are very excited that both the House and the Senate delivered the president what he needs, more than ample room to do whatever he wants to do on clean energy.”
Steven Biel, Greenpeace’s Global Warming Campaign Director, echoes that sentiment. “It’s good that they’ve included the reserve fund [for clean energy legislation],” Biel says. “It represents political momentum in the right direction…. You’ve got senators from coal and oil producing states voting to support cap and trade.”
Likewise, the League of Conservation Voters released a statement saying, “The passage of this budget was a giant leap towards a cleaner, safer, more prosperous future for this country.”
With investments that will help generate millions of jobs and protect our land, air, and water, this is one of the most environmentally responsible and economically stimulating budgets in American history. It builds an irresistible momentum towards a new era of clean energy with more jobs, greater security, and a cleaner planet.
Tony Kreindler of the typically more cautious Environmental Defense Fund emphasized the significance of the Senate’s vote to keep climate change legislation out of the reconciliation process. “The most important takeaway is that the Senate’s now on record with [House climate change leaders] that climate change will move through regular order,” Kreindler said. “That’s a good thing.”
