03.28.17

Senators Cantwell, Murray Urge President to Rescind Anti-Climate Executive Order

Letter highlights economic, environmental, and security concerns for Western states

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) joined eight U.S. Senators from six Western states, in urging President Trump to rescind the Executive Order issued today that attempts to reverse multiple major U.S. initiatives to combat climate change. The Senators wrote that the Order “fails to bring clean energy jobs to our rural communities, ignores the impacts that extreme weather will have on our economy and our national security, and does not decrease our reliance on foreign oil.”

“We stand ready to work with you and your Administration in reaching a balance between achieving energy independence, promoting innovation, and growing our rural economies,” the Senators wrote in the letter. “Unfortunately, your Executive Order takes the nation in the wrong direction.  In order to account for the unique needs of our Western states, we respectfully request you rescind the Energy Independence Executive Order.”

The Senators outlined several reasons the President should rescind the Order, including that it fails to:

  • Support the clean energy economy, one of the fastest-growing sources of new jobs in the country. Collectively, the wind and solar industry accounts for nearly 144,000 jobs and more than $83 billion in existing capital investment in Western states.
  • Consider the economic impacts of extreme weather events on rural communities, such as more frequent and severe drought, wildfires, and extreme weather events.
  • Address increased costs to taxpayers due to the impacts of climate change.
  • Make our country more secure and less reliant on foreign oil.

In addition to Cantwell and Murray, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Click HERE to read the letter in its entirety.

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