Shannon Van Hoesen, shannon.vanhoesen@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC - Today, Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) to end the Trump executive order to declare a sham energy “emergency.”
The Trump administration is seeking to disregard clean air and water safeguards to fast-track permits for fossil fuel development, despite the fact that the United States is already the largest oil producer and gas exporter in the world. At the same time, the executive order hampers America’s ability to generate clean, renewable energy.
In response, Sierra Club Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy Mahyar Sorour released the following statement:
“The only energy ‘emergency’ facing the country is Trump’s commitment to deepening our reliance on volatile, dangerous fossil fuels while cutting off investment in renewable, American-made energy sources. Americans want clean air and water and affordable energy, yet this executive order will directly lead to public harm and higher utility bills. By blocking this resolution, Republicans are willing to sell out their constituents to the highest bidder to benefit corporate polluters at the expense of communities.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.