Why did REP support the House energy bill when so many Republican leaders opposed it?
The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) is not the bill that REP would have written. It is overly complex and prescriptive. Nevertheless, House approval of the bill was a useful step forward, because further delay in dealing with climate change is not acceptable. It was the only vehicle in the House for dealing with the issue. Had House Republican leaders offered a responsible, credible alternative to ACES, REP would have championed it and encouraged Congress to support it. Unfortunately, our party’s House leaders chose to play politics with the issue, sending a message that partisan politics is more important to them than dealing responsibly with our country’s problems. Now that the bill has moved to the Senate, we encourage both parties to tone down the rhetoric and work together responsibly to improve the legislation and broaden public support for it.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) is not the bill that REP would have written. It is overly complex and prescriptive. Nevertheless, House approval of the bill was a useful step forward, because further delay in dealing with climate change is not acceptable. It was the only vehicle in the House for dealing with the issue. Had House Republican leaders offered a responsible, credible alternative to ACES, REP would have championed it and encouraged Congress to support it. Unfortunately, our party’s House leaders chose to play politics with the issue, sending a message that partisan politics is more important to them than dealing responsibly with our country’s problems. Now that the arena for climate legislation has moved to the Senate, we encourage both parties to tone down the rhetoric and work together responsibly to improve the legislation and broaden public support for it. We are pleased with the leadership that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has shown in working with Se
