A Step Forward On Energy
Cross-posted at Grist.org
I’m a bit bleary eyed admittedly after midnight votes, and about to do an event in Boston on the energy fight, but I just wanted to come back here and tell you how good it feels to have gotten something good done in the Senate instead of just stopping bad things from happening.
A year ago I was battling to stop drilling in ANWR. Last night – finally - after years of battling and five years after we introduced the Kerry-McCain legislation to raise fuel efficiency standards - we’ve done it in the Senate.
This is something that never would’ve happened with Bill Frist as the Majority Leader, but with Harry Reid leading the Senate we were able to finally pass the first significant rise in CAFÉ standards in over a generation.
I can’t tell you what a difference this makes. Yes, this has been an issue for me for many years, and I took a lot of heat for this during the 2004 race – you might remember the Bush Cheney campaign saying we were going to cost jobs in Michigan, when the truth is this is going to create good jobs in Michigan.
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But after all the hits we took, after all the scare tactics, truth won out last night. Why? Because all of the activists of the Democratic Party helped to deliver a Democratic Congress, and now we can start the long process of building an energy economy that can work for us in the 21st century and can address climate change instead of making it a hell of a lot worse.
This isn’t the perfect solution to the CAFÉ debate, and the overall energy bill still lacks some important components. But I never thought this would happen right away, and legislative change can be a long battle of attrition. In fact, you bet that’s exactly what it will be – more on that soon. (In fact, in Boston I’m unveiling a scorecard of what we achieved and what we missed and the work that remains to be done.)
But bottom line, we’re moving the right way on this, and with continued pressure and continued work, we can change the way we get our energy and the way we do business.
The nitty gritty details of what’s in the energy bill can be found here, if you’d like to get the full run-down. But this is an historic moment; fuel fleet efficiency standards have been stagnant for 20 years, while oil prices have skyrocketed and our climate crisis has gotten more acute. Finally, we have a Congress that isn’t burying its collective head in the sand over this and beginning the long process of moving forward.
We also managed to include a great number of other environmental initiatives in this energy bill, including support for furthering the technology on carbon capture and sequestration. (Something I worked with the folks at MIT on and I think holds just huge potential.) There are also provisions providing support for the development of more efficient lighting materials and building materials, as well as authorizing a program for electric drive transportation. And we set specific guidelines for the reduction of gasoline usage from projected levels and required biennial reports on the progress toward meeting those goals.
So what’s next to do? We were very close to getting my major tax package included in this bill, one that rolled back $9 billion of tax breaks for big oil companies and added incentives for plug-in hybrids and many other environmentally beneficial technologies. We are only one vote short of breaking the GOP filibuster on that, and, when Tim Johnson returns to the Senate from his courageous battle back to health, we can try again to pass that.
We still need to pass legislation demanding that our nation gets 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Proposals to set requirements like that were blocked by (you guessed it!) a GOP filibuster. But the American people are demanding action, so we’re gaining converts every vote.
This energy bill is not the single silver bullet solution to our energy and climate crises. But after years of fighting a losing battle to get any progress toward solving those problems, I am very happy to finally be moving in the right direction. The momentum is on our side on this, and we’ll continue to create truly revolutionary change in our economy.
Thanks for all of your help.
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This is the best news coming from the Hill in some time! Thank you, senator, for your leadership on this.
Senator,
Thanks for the update. I’m very glad to hear that we’ve finally made progress on this important legislation.
Senator Kerry,
This is really fantastic news, and a kudos to you and all the senators who were able to iron out a deal to raise automobile fuel efficiency.
So it’s really Tim Johnson you’re waiting for? I did notice that John McCain did not vote, because he is out in the campaign field. Is he not a potential vote for your tax package? Apart from other issues, he seemed to be pretty good on the environment (having co-sponsored with you the first attempt to raise CAFE standards), so this is the reason I was wondering how he would vote had he been there. That is a real disappointment if catering to GOP primary voters would not allow him to vote for your sensible tax package, thereby moving our energy policy forward and beginning to combat global climate change.
Again, thank you sir for your leadership in the Senate.
Thank you Senator Kerry,
Thank you for having our backs and fighting so hard for the future of our kids, grandkids and our planet. You know I have been looking around lately and I see people using fluorescent light bulbs and more and more Hybrids and smaller fuel efficiency cars such as the Mini Cooper. It puts a smile on my face and the American people are getting it, finally. Hopefully prices will come down a bit so I can purchase my own Hybrid.
This is a very big first step and we will be here with you to fight for the next step.
NO SURRENDER!
Senator Kerry, thank you for your efforts. You have been instrumental in focusing the nation’s attention on energy independence. I’m proud of our Democratic Congress for this significant achievement. Again, thank you.
Senator Kerry, Are you kidding sir? With all due respect this energy bill does not accomplish what the American people have a right to expect. I have a lot of respect and admiration for you, sir, but Harry Reid frankly makes previous majority leaders look good. We need a new era in Congress as well as the White House, and unfortunately Senator Reid is an old time corrupt politician.
Thank you for your leadership, Senator Kerry!
And CONGRATULATIONS on a well deserved victory and important step along the road to energy independence for our country and the increased national security that will provide.
I know how valuable your experience and long environmental history have been in fighting successfully for a new direction for our energy policy. This could not have happened under Republican control in the Senate (Leader Bill Frist) and you were instrumental in Democrats regaining control of both the House and Senate in 2006. With a Democratic Party Leader (Harry Reid) the Senate is able to set the agenda and make great gains on issues of concern…like energy.
All Democrats may not be perfect, but at least we’re not Republicans !
And we’re on the same team.
Thank you, Senator, for your efforts in getting the energy bill passed. I stayed up to watch the vote last night, and was encouraged when I heard Republicans voting for this legislation. Getting the bill passed was sweet, and listening to the vote and hearing support from both sides was an encouraging sign.
I realize how difficult it is working with such a slim majority in the Senate, but last night’s vote made me hopeful. Maybe there’s a chance now for a withdrawal proposal. Maybe the Republicans have finally realized that they can’t continue to vote against the wishes of their constituents and still keep their seats. Or maybe they’re just ready to start doing the right thing.
Whatever it is, and however you did it, just keep doing it. I have to say I’m incredibly proud of you and the rest of our Dem Senate for fighting so hard knowing most of your work will be obstructed, and I applaud those on both sides who did the right thing this time with the energy bill.
Congratulations, thank you, and try to get some well deserved rest.
Thanks, Senator. While nothing is perfect, this is a lot closer to fine than we’ve had for a long time. News of a success against the pro-pollution forces is always, ahm, a breath of fresh air. And boy howdy, do we need plenty more such breaths of fresh air in Washington these days…
Sen. Kerry, Thank you for your long, consistent leadership on these issues. I also appreciate the mini-civics lesson you’ve offered us here: a clear, real-life account of how the legislative process works in real life, how the legislative progress sometimes has to move step by step. And how important it is not to stop striving towards one’s goals, even when thwarted or slowed by events beyond one’s current control. I am very grateful that you are continuing to push your fellow Democrats to develop a spine and stand up for us on the environment, the Constitution, and ending the war in Iraq.
Thinking of larger ways that our country’s interests were thwarted in 2004 (. . . sigh), I so deeply admire the courageous, yet ever-thoughtful way in which you are continuing to fight for our country, harder and more boldly than, ever. If anyone was so obtuse to doubt that you ran for president in 2004 for a cause larger than yourself, I can just direct them to your tireless, clear-headed activism, moving us onward and upward from the tragedy of November 2004.
I just wanted to add my thanks to Senator Kerry for all of his work and leadership on this.
Congratulations Senator Kerry on the passage of these much needed improvements assisting in energy conservation, usage and fuel economy. I am thrilled that these measures are a step forward rather than just another measure supporting the status quo. Thank you for all your efforts.
This is so exciting! It’s wonderful to see how clear your agenda is and that, step by step, as we reclaim our Congress (and, soon, the White House!) you are guiding our policy forward, towards sanity and safety for our nation and the planet.
Thank you for your vision and dedication and the legislative skill that makes hope into reality.
I just want to thank Senator Kerry for being a consistent, passionate leader on the important issue of America’s energy usage and helping to pass this bill. While I’m disappointed that the final version of the energy bill did not mandate much more aggressive actions to combat the threat of global warming and climate change (I’m personally upset that the bill doesn’t require a 4% increase in fuel efficiency standards per year as it originally did), I do realize that this was the best we could do with the Republicans having the ability to block whatever measure they wished, so I greatly hope that Bush will sign this bill into law. It’s a good first step toward ending America’s addiction to foreign oil, and toward a new energy paradigm of renewable fuels.
However, we only have ten years to fully counter this climate crisis before it’s too late, and, while this bill is a good step, we cannot afford to be timid. I personally believe that we need to derive half of our energy from renewable sources in ten years, not twenty percent by 2020 as this bill mandates. And getting our CAFE standards to 35 mpg by 2020 is weak compared to the fact that auto manufacturers could get us to 100 mpg or more by that time through hybrid and other innovative and exciting technology. But it’s a good start—just that—and a great improvement from the failure that was the energy legislation of 2005, and I applaud your efforts, Senator, for ensuring that this victory happened.