In his first vote, Southern Tier Rep. Tom Reed sided with his majority colleagues to stall the Clean Power Plan.

For Immediate Release: December 1, 2015

Reed’s Chance to Redeem Himself on Climate Science

Congress Prepares Another Attack on Clean Power Plan, Clean Air Act

Albany – The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing to vote a second time today to block climate action and clean air protections, advancing extreme legislation that no New York member of Congress can justify supporting.

In his first vote, Southern Tier Rep. Tom Reed sided with his majority colleagues to stall the Clean Power Plan. Since then, he has signed onto a resolution sponsored by Hudson Valley Rep. Chris Gibson acknowledging that climate change is man-made and requires bold action.

The new iteration of the effort led by Kentucky Rep. Ed Whitfield is far more extreme than the first, and would not only immediately nullify the Clean Power Plan, but also prevent further action until the Congress directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a climate plan.

The following statement is attributable to Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY:

“New York is on track to easily meet compliance with the Clean Power Plan because of our standards through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). That’s why Rep. Reed’s vote in June to block the Clean Power Plan and attack the very integrity of the Clean Air Act was dead wrong; he voted against the interests of the people he represents and empowered a climate science-denying colleague from Kentucky whose interests lie strictly with Big Coal.

We were pleased to see that Rep. Reed joined Rep. Gibson – the only New York Republican to vote against the original measure – in sponsoring a resolution which acknowledges that climate change is man-made and that bold action is required. He should turn his rhetoric into action. This is Rep. Reed’s opportunity to correct his bad vote from June by opposing S.J. Res 23 and S.J. Res 24.”

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