Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today released the following statement in response to President Trump’s Executive Order that attempts to reverse multiple major U.S. initiatives to combat climate change.
“This anti-climate Executive Order is a direct assault on the health of our children and clean energy economy,” Bennet said. “President Trump’s decision to rewrite the Clean Power Plan could jeopardize thousands of new jobs and billions to our economy, and produce a confusing patchwork of state laws for American businesses. It also could prevent the EPA from regulating clean air and water, sacrificing a rigorous scientific process in the name of ideology. Instead of leading the fight against climate change and transition to clean energy, this Administration has abandoned it.”
“Despite this disturbing action, Colorado will continue to lead the nation by growing its clean energy economy and meeting its target under the Clean Power Plan,” Bennet continued. “I’ll continue to work across the aisle to combat climate change for our businesses, our children’s health, and the future of our planet.”
Bennet, along with nine other U.S. Senators from six Western states, sent a letter to President Trump urging him to rescind the Executive Order.
The Executive Order calls for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which set the first-ever national standards to reduce carbon pollution from power plants 32 percent by 2030. The Clean Power Plan would have provided $54 billion in climate and health benefits each year, prevented thousands of premature deaths and asthma attacks in children, reduced electricity bills for homes and businesses, and created thousands of good-paying jobs.
The Executive Order also calls for the Office of Management and Budget to review the Social Cost of Carbon, which has been used since the Bush Administration to ensure that our regulations reflect the full cost of climate change.