The following statement is from Marty Hayden, Vice President of Policy and Legislation for Earthjustice on today’s vote on the Comprehensive American Energy Security Act:

“Congress needs to place America on a path to a new energy future that will create clean energy jobs at home and combat global warming by reducing our dependence on oil and coal. The Comprehensive American Energy Security Act that passed the House today contains a number of provisions that move us in that direction including tax credits for electricity produced from wind and solar, incentives for plug-in hybrid vehicles and a federal renewable electricity standard.

“Unfortunately, it also contains a number of drilling and mining provisions that move us in exactly the opposite direction. These include provisions that provide for the lifting of the moratorium on commercial oil shale leasing in the west, more oil drilling off our coasts, and an annual leasing program in the western arctic that does not provide for consideration of special areas meriting protection within that 23-million acre area. Due to the inclusion of these and other measures, we were compelled to oppose H.R. 6899.

“However, we are pleased the House chose to reject the extreme ‘drill, baby, drill’ motion offered by the minority that would have opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development, stimulated even more drilling off our coasts and put the taxpayer on the hook for funding a ‘liquid coal’ industry that would only compound the challenge of addressing global warming. It is time to take Big Oil’s hands off the steering wheel when it comes to our energy future”