Quigley: House “Must Do Better” Creating a National Energy Plan
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) urged his colleagues in Congress to put partisanship aside and craft America's first national energy plan to address climate change, promote innovation and protect the public's health and safety.
"We are hamstrung by our inability to work together to do great, important, vital things, here in this chamber," said Rep. Quigley. "The only way forward is to establish a national energy plan to address climate change, something this great nation has always lacked, and to work with public and private entities alike to get this done….I'm not calling on the President for another Executive Order. I'm not calling on the Senate to move one more piecemeal energy bill that lies holed up in Committee. I'm calling on this House."
In a speech on the House floor, Rep. Quigley asked his colleagues to work with the business community on a plan that would make America more globally competitive and focus efforts on public transportation, green infrastructure and passing a multi-year transportation bill.
Rep. Quigley highlighted the need for strong Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, citing the positive impact the Clean Air Act had on developing innovative technologies in existing power plants. He also urged colleagues to reject the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act, which would jeopardize the public's health and the environment by allowing power plants to bypass EPA standards when disposing of toxic coal ash.
For video and a full transcript of Rep. Quigley's speech, please click here.
Rep. Quigley is a stalwart supporter of the environment and a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. He has opposed the environmentally harmful Keystone XL pipeline and fought for increased protections against oil and gas drilling. During his recent Chicago Climate Tour, he visited regional environmental sites to hear from experts on the local impact of climate change and efforts to address the issue.
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