Vitter Opposes Costly Climate Bill
Bill would have brought higher gas prices and sent more jobs overseas
U.S. Sen. David Vitter today voted in opposition to the Lieberman-Warner Climate Change Bill, helping defeat consideration of the bill in the U.S. Senate. This week Vitter spoke on the U.S. Senate floor on several occasions to voice his opposition to the bill. Research suggests that the climate change bill would result in increased gasoline, energy and electricity prices, and Vitter tried to offer amendments that would have addressed the negative impact of these already inflated costs on Louisianans. These amendments, however, were blocked by a parliamentary procedure used by the Democratic leadership.
"As American families are faced with the twin difficulties of rising gas and food costs, I could not possibly support a bill that would bring about the loss of millions of American jobs to China and India," said Vitter. "The higher energy prices that this legislation would have caused certainly would have forced U.S. companies to move their manufacturing bases overseas, and that is simply not something that we should support."
Earlier this week, Vitter tried to offer multiple amendments to address the negative impacts on American businesses and jobs and increased energy and gas prices this bill would have created. His first amendment would have allowed for new exploration when gas reaches a trigger price of $5 per gallon and the governor of a state petitions for drilling with the approval of that state's legislature. The amendment would have allowed a governor to petition the Interior secretary with the concurrence of the legislature for new offshore drilling and would also have provided for revenue sharing for new producing areas. Vitter filed another amendment that provided for additional energy exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf if it is determined by the Secretary of Energy that the implementation of the climate change bill has caused an increase in average residential natural gas and gasoline prices.
"Any climate change legislation, if it is intended to make positive changes, must include policies that lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy, allow for clean energy solutions and - most important - protect American families, jobs and businesses," Vitter said. "Unfortunately, this was not such a bill, and it needed considerable improvement if it is to help, and not hurt, Americans. American families have already struggled enough."
The Energy Information Administration estimates that the climate change bill will result in an additional increase in gas prices of between 41 cents and $1.01 per gallon over today's costs, with electricity prices estimated to grow by 44 percent by 2030.
Vitter's final amendment would have taken steps to protect American jobs and require the submission of annual reports describing whether the climate change bill had resulted in the loss of more than 5,000 jobs in natural-gas intensive sectors.
"I believe that this bill is going to result in a significant loss of American jobs," said Vitter. "This amendment was specifically designed to provide these workers with a certain level of protection, but it was blocked in an effort to quell debate on these important issues by the Senate leadership."
In recent weeks, Vitter has spoken on several occasions on the Senate floor about the need to address rising energy prices, calling for a sound energy policy based on reducing America's dependence on foreign energy sources and increasing domestic exploration. He reiterated this need for action, which was not addressed by the proposed legislation.