Arlen Specter: “after extensive consideration of the views of many constituents who have contacted me on this very important bill, I…”

“after extensive consideration of the views of many constituents who have contacted me on this very important bill, I decided to vote against it because of the open questions on the impact on climate and the consequences for the national and State economies, which are very fragile at the moment. It is always a difficult matter to balance environmental protection and the need for economic development and jobs. I believe that global warming is a matter of great international importance and the 43 votes in favor of this bill puts the administration and others on notice that there is considerable sentiment for stronger action to address this problem. I have voted for environmental protection for renewable energy and conservation measures, and I have initiated legislation to limit the amount of oil which will be consumed at various intervals in the future. As a Pennsylvania Senator, I have a particular interest in the continued use of coal, our Nation's most abundant energy supply, especially in the context of the billions of tons of bituminous coal in the western part of Pennsylvania and anthracite coal in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. This bill would have a serious impact on our steel industry, our chemical industry, and manufacturing. In this context, it is very difficult to adopt a limit by the year 2010 since we cannot predict at this time what the situation will be with our national and State economies.”