On the recordJuly 8, 2013
My colleagues, on behalf of the Safe Climate Caucus, I want to commend the President for his Climate Action Plan he announced on June 25. As the President recognized, we have a moral obligation to our children and our grandchildren to protect this planet for future generations. The history of the Clean Air Act shows that we can have both a clean environment and a strong economy. Since its adoption in 1970, the Clean Air Act has reduced air pollution by two-thirds while our economy has tripled in size. In 2010 alone, the Clean Air Act prevented over 160,000 premature deaths and millions of respiratory illnesses. The Clean Air Act has also made the U.S. a world leader in clean energy technology. In 2008, the U.S. pollution control industry generated $300 billion in revenues, $44 billion in exports, and over 1.5 million jobs. This time will be no different. In fact, a new study shows the President's plan could create hundreds of thousands of jobs. ____________________
