Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) took to the House floor late last night to speak against the GOP Continuing Resolution and call out the Republican attack on clean energy at the expense of disaster relief funding.   Here is a link to video of his remarks and text below.

 
"Write today’s date down. The GOP is now in open warfare against clean energy. Yesterday was an opening salvo, but today is the declaration of war.

- They’ve already gutted clean energy research and development budgets by 40 percent next year.

- Their budget for the next 3 years promises to cut those investments by 90 percent.

- They’ve zeroed out loan guarantees for renewable energy in their budget while leaving intact $25 billion for the nuclear             industry.

"They’re prepared to shut down the government rather than rescind one penny of the oil and gas industry’s $41 billion in tax subsidies. But clean energy sector gets the hammer.

"Yesterday, in a gratuitous assist to Big Oil, Republicans tried to kill the Clean Car Factory Fund in order to pay for natural disaster relief. This is a program that is helping American companies manufacture super-efficient vehicles that reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

"Apparently that bill wasn’t radical enough for the Tea Party base.

"So tonight they’re launching their full-frontal assault on clean energy. Yesterday, it was just clean cars. Today, it’s solar energy, wind energy, and biomass too.

"But a word of warning. Up to a dozen projects are prepared to receive the green light in the next week. Swooping in and destroying this program now will destroy those projects and destroy the thousands of jobs that come with them.

"So, before you vote for this bill, check and see if your state is one of the 38 that has received support under this program. Check and see if your state is one of the 12 that could have a project announced in the next week.

"Make sure the 66,000 people that have jobs today as a result of this program are not from your states.

"By the way, the 66,000 jobs created through this program are more than anything generated through legislation passed out of this Chamber this year.

"Our planet is warming and extreme weather is increasing.  100-year floods and droughts are now striking every few years. Hurricanes have caused floods, massive power outages and deaths. Texas is on fire after having the hottest summer ever recorded by any state. The President has issued disaster declarations in 48 States so far this year. We have set an all-time high of 83 major disasters declared in 2011. Wake up!

"Republicans say, fine – we’ll provide the emergency relief for those who have been afflicted by nature’s wrath.  But we won’t do it unless we can cut the funds for the programs that promise to reduce the global warming causing the extreme weather in the first place.

"Does the majority ask if we can save money by cutting the hundreds of billions of dollars we spend on our nuclear weapons arsenal because we don’t need our massive stockpile anymore?

"No.

"Can we cut the tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies we give to Big Oil and King Coal?

"Of course not.

"This bill is an embarrassment. Vote NO on this latest front in the Republican assault on clean energy."