GOP Rejects Markey Amendment to Shift Money to Clean Energy
 
WASHINGTON (July 12, 2011) – The House Republican caucus continued to push an energy and water spending bill today that would actually increase funding to fossil fuel and nuclear energy, while slashing funding for solar, wind, and other clean energy technologies. By a vote of 154-266, the GOP rejected an amendment by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) that would have invested $100 million in clean energy technologies, shifting the money by reducing cash sent to oil, coal, nuclear and other traditional technologies. Even after Rep. Markey’s amendment, clean energy programs would still take a $391 million cut in the budget.
 
“Saudi Arabia and Iran are rejoicing today, because they now see House Republicans are waving the white flag when it comes to developing alternatives to oil,” said Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee. “The Republicans claim to favor an ‘all of the above’ energy policy, but when offered the chance to ensure that America funded wind, solar, and energy efficiency technologies in addition to fossil fuels and nuclear, they refused to do so.”
 
The amendment would have increased funding for the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program by $100 million and pay for it by reducing the Nuclear Energy and Fossil Energy accounts by $50 million each.
 
In the current energy and water spending bill, Republicans are increasing funds for traditional technologies:
-- $32 million increase for coal, oil, and natural gas.
-- $28 million increase for the Yucca mountain nuclear waste dump.
--$44 million increase for nuclear technology.
 
However, the bill cuts funds for clean energy and energy efficiency. The bill includes:
--$97 million cut for solar.
--$46 million cut for clean vehicle technologies.
--$61 million cut for green building technologies
--$80 million cut for the Advanced Energy Research (ARPA-E) program.
--$43 million cut for science research.
--$141 million cut for weatherization.
 
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