Republicans tout commitment to renewable energy in weekly radio response but have consistently voted to slash renewable energy
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 22, 2011) – Today, in the Republican Party’s response to President Obama’s weekly radio address, North Carolina Senator Richard Burr stated that as part of the Republican’s as-yet still unintroduced jobs plan that, “We'll increase America's energy independence by promoting increased oil and gas exploration and innovation in the field of renewable energy sources, driving down our reliance on energy imported from around the world.”
 
Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement to set the record straight about the Republican record on renewable energy:
 
“Instead of ‘Everything Under the Sun’, the Republican energy agenda would better be called ‘Everything Under the Earth and Forget the Sun.’ House Republicans have consistently voted to slash clean energy while leaving untouched billions in subsidies and tax breaks for the oil, gas and nuclear industries,” said Rep. Markey. 
 
In February 2011, House Republicans passed Congressman Paul Ryan’s budget proposal that promised to slash investments in alternative energy by 70 percent in 2012 and 90 percent over the next three years. Then in April, after bringing the government to the brink of closure fueled by Tea Party extremists within their ranks, Republicans successfully rescinded $18.2 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy and energy efficiency. At the same time, they left in place $22.5 billion for the nuclear industry and $8 billion dollars for coal. Later that month, Republicans passed a FY2012 spending bill that cut renewable energy and energy efficiency investments by 40 percent, nearly $2 billion below President Obama’s request. That same spending bill also increased investments in nuclear power by $8 million and increased fossil energy by $32 million. Weeks later, Republicans also repealed the energy efficient light bulb standard which they had supported in 2007.
 
“The Republican approach to energy is simple: protect fossil fuel interests, slash renewable energy, and fight against an American-made clean energy future and the jobs it creates. There can be no more talk about a Republican ‘All of the Above' energy plan; it is clearly ‘Oil Above All’,” said Rep. Markey.
 
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