Issue Position: Protecting the Environment

Issue Position

"Climate change is real and has serious consequences for our economy, our livelihoods, and our health. You don't have to go any further than communities across Vermont to hear about its early impacts. Just ask the businesses and families wiped out by Tropical Storm Irene. Ask ski lift operators worried about losing their jobs as the season shortens. Or ask sugar makers who are coping with uncertainty over when the season will start and how long it will last. This is a problem that can be solved. If we ignore the costs of carbon pollution, we will lose to other countries America's advantage in developing the clean energy technologies of the future."

Spotlight on Business
Rep. Welch is a leader in the House on initiatives to tackle climate change and protect our environment. As a member of the Safe Climate Caucus and House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, he has taken on climate change skeptics and helped defeat efforts to handcuff the Environmental Protection Agency and gut landmark environmental laws and initiatives such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He is the House leader on energy efficiency, a vocal opponent of the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, and a strong supporter of a cap and trade system to check carbon emissions.

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