The House’s vulnerable climate champions
by Brad Johnson.
Cross-posted from the Wonk Room.
The Wonk Room has previously identified six
key U.S. Senate races and eight
U.S. House races between a vote for climate action and a global
warming denier. Today, the Wonk Room highlights six House races of the
most vulnerable champions for climate action. They include three
freshman representatives, two elected in 2006, and one veteran
congressman, Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.-11), who together represented the
swing votes in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act in
2009. Their opponents are right-wing ideologues who parrot the party
line that cap-and-trade legislation is a job-killing “energy tax.” Here are the six most vulnerable House climate champions:
Virginia-5: Tom Perriello vs. Robert Hurt
86 percent likelihood of Republican pickup
“This
is the challenge of our time,” Democratic freshman Tom Perriello
has said of the fight against global warming pollution. “The jobs
opportunity, the national security challenge, the scientific challenge
of our era.”
In contrast, Republican Virginia state Sen. Robert Hurt wants to increase
carbon pollution and Virginia’s dependence on fossil fuels. He is a
strong supporter of drilling off the shore of Virginia and attacks
cap-and-trade carbon markets as a job-killer:
There are bills like cap-and-trade, which is the
greatest example of excess in environmental policy. Cap-and-trade
is not a bill that will do anything except harm people. It
will kill jobs.
In 2008, Perriello narrowly won by 727 votes the conservative fifth
Congressional district of Virginia, which comprises south-central
Virginia bordering North Carolina.
Maryland-1: Frank Kratovil vs. Andy Harris
84 percent likelihood of Republican pickup
“I’m proud to be fighting in Congress to protect the bay, encourage a
new
green energy economy, and finally take real steps to reduce our
dependence on foreign oil,” Democratic freshman Frank Kratovil has said.
Representing eastern Maryland’s first Congressional district, Kratovil
supported the American Clean Energy and Security Act in 2009.
Republican challenger Andy Harris bashed climate legislation as a
“job-killing” “energy tax” in the press release for his first
television ad:
The job-killing policies of Nancy Pelosi and
Congressional Democrats—like the so-called economic Stimulus, the
Health Care takeover, and the Cap and Trade Energy Tax— do nothing but place the debt of today onto the children of tomorrow.
Colorado-4 Betsy Markey vs. Cory Gardner
72 percent likelihood of Republican pickup
In 2008, Democratic freshman Betsy Markey defeated Rep. Marilyn
Musgrave to take Colorado’s conservative fourth Congressional district.
“I think we need to work to advance renewable energy standards that make
sense—that create jobs, reduce our crippling dependence on hostile
foreign regimes for oil, and protect our
environment for future generations—with little to no cost for the
average energy consumer in the 4th CD,” Markey explained her vote in
favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
Her opponent, state Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), is a global warming
denier:
I think the climate is changing, but I don’t believe
humans are causing that change to the extent that’s been in the
news.
Gardner also claimed green economy legislation “will devastate the
economy” and “remove
hope for any turn towards recovery in the near future.”
Pennsylvania-11: Paul Kanjorski vs. Lou Barletta
69 percent likelihood of a Republican pickup
Veteran congressman Paul Kanjorski is a committed activist for a
green economy. Explaining his vote for the American Clean Energy and
Security Act, he said: “We need to begin the process of decreasing
greenhouse gas emissions, creating clean energy jobs in America,
and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”
On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta
attacked legislation to fight global warming pollution:
The proposed cap and trade bill could place
punishing taxes on American businesses, stifling the economic
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