Franque Bains, franque.bains@sierraclub.org
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The Sierra Club Utah Chapter calls for accountability for Senator Mike Lee and Senator John Curtis for going directly against the will of the people by attempting to sell millions of acres of public lands in Utah, and voting to gut clean energy incentives and programs.
This week, Senate Republicans, including Senators Lee and Curtis, voted to endanger public health, kill clean energy jobs and their economic benefits, and raise costs for working families and small businesses—all to hand big tax breaks to billionaires and corporate polluters. Despite widespread public opposition to the many dangers of the bill, H.R. 1 passed by a vote of 51-50, with JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote.
The non-partisan CBO estimates that the bill will add $3.3 trillion in debt and result in more than 12 million Americans losing their health care coverage.
In response, Franque Bains, Utah Chapter Director released the following statement:
“Utah’s Senate delegation has failed us. This catastrophic Big Bad Bill repeals gains for clean energy and lays the groundwork for the expansion of dirty oil and coal. With this vote, they pushed us decades back. This bill is disastrous for climate change.
“Sen. Curtis, you were elected on a promise to bring solutions that will help us leave the earth better than we found it, but your vote to gut clean energy does exactly the opposite. Utahns are watching you, and we are waiting for you to live up to your word.”
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.