Contact: 

Marc Morano 202-224-5762
marc_morano@epw.senate.gov

Matt Dempsey 202-224-9797
matthew_dempsey@epw.senate.gov

Inhofe Praises President Bush for Rejecting Lieberman-Warner Bill

President Bush Outlines New Technologies Approach Right for Oklahoma and the Nation

WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment & Public Works Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Bush’s statement in which he set out a new intermediate national goal for stopping the growth of greenhouse gas emissions.

“I applaud the President for outlining a bold alternative climate initiative that rejects the concept that the United States must adopt economically ruinous cap-and-trade legislation such as the Lieberman-Warner bill that would significantly drive up the already skyrocketing cost of energy on the American public,” Senator Inhofe said. “Today, as American families and American workers are faced with an economic downturn, the slumping housing market, and rising gas prices,  they are unlikely to tolerate a ‘de-stimulus’ climate bill that will not have the sponsors’ purported impact on temperatures but will further exacerbate economic pain.

“Rather, the President outlined the only politically and economically sustainable path forward, one that embraces and develops new technologies. I have long advocated a technology approach that brings in the developing world nations such as China and India as the only viable approach. The President is right, as Oklahoma demonstrates; tomorrow’s energy mix must include more natural gas, wind and geothermal, but it must also include oil, coal, and nuclear energy, which is the world's largest source of emission-free energy. The President’s approach serves multiple purposes – it will reduce air pollution, expand our energy supply, increase trade, and, along with these other goals, reduce greenhouse gases.

“Over the past year we have watched as liberal special interests have employed hundreds of lawyers to try and convert current environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air Act into climate laws. Their attempt to list the polar bear as a threatened species is not about protecting the bear but about using the ESA to achieve global warming policy that they cannot otherwise achieve through the legislative process. The implications of such a policy would lead to drastic increases in litigation and eager lawyers ready to find ways to shut down energy production.

“Importantly, I believe the President’s proposal is the right one for Oklahoma. We have a proud tradition of leading the country in energy development. We have long been a leader in oil and natural gas supply, and today we are becoming a leader in innovating and providing transportation fuels for the future. We recognize that developing energy at home translates into energy security, which ensures stable sources of supply and well-paying jobs for workers in Oklahoma and across the country.”