Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led more than 30 U.S. Senators today in the introduction of legislation to rescind President Trump’s Executive Order to reverse several landmark U.S. initiatives to combat climate change.
“By halting this Executive Order, we will keep current safeguards in place to combat climate change, protect American jobs, and preserve our path toward energy independence,” Bennet said.
The bill, titled the Clean Air, Healthy Kids Act, would block federal agencies from implementing the actions outlined in the Executive Order signed Tuesday by President Trump. These actions include reevaluating the Clean Power Plan, which is currently on track to provide $54 billion in climate and health benefits each year, prevent thousands of premature deaths and asthma attacks in children, reduce electricity bills for homes and businesses, and create thousands of good-paying jobs.
Earlier today, Bennet spoke on the Senate floor against the Order and committed to continue addressing climate change and creating clean energy jobs.
“This Executive Order will not expand energy production, make us more energy independent, or create American jobs,” Bennet said in his remarks. “The United States was already on track to achieve energy independence. Colorado has been a big part of America’s growing energy independence, and by extension, to our national security…. If the President was serious about energy independence, he would support our approach. Instead, he is trying to undermine it with this new Order.”
“This Administration is not operating in reality,” Bennet said. “It is operating in the theater of the absurd, where policies have no relationships to problems, facts don’t matter, and false promises to struggling Americans are just another political tactic to win a cable news cycle.”
Yesterday, Bennet led nine other Senators from six Western states in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to rescind the Order, and outlining specific ways in which the Order would harm Western economies and environments.
The following Senators cosponsored this legislation:
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Tom Carper (D-DE)
Chris Coons (D-DE)
Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Edward Markey (D-MA)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Bernie Sanders (D-VT)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Click HERE for a copy of the bill.
Click HERE to read his full remarks on the Senate floor.