Congressman Graves on Climate Change

Below you will find a recent response that I recieved from Congressman Graves regarding climate change legislation. I am gravely concerned about the recent climate change legislation (HR 2454) that has been proposed.

Dear Andrew:

Thank you for contacting me regarding climate change legislation before Congress. I appreciate your comments and this opportunity to address your concerns.

Congress is now considering what type of federal action is needed to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. No matter what path we choose, success will require an aggressive and sustained commitment by industry and policymakers to the development and deployment of a wide range of technologies over several decades.

The underlying goal of all bills being considered is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to levels significantly below current levels. This will be achieved, in most instances, by capping emissions and then allowing industry to focus on an array of options to reduce emissions or buy credits on the market. My concerns are that the goals would undermine America's economic security and force consumers and industries to pay significantly higher energy prices. Also, because of the global nature of the climate change problem, solutions should require the participation of the entire world, including developing nations like China and India; however these bills remains silent on this international component.

I believe that we need an all-of-the-above approach to our energy needs. It is important to continue to develop the resources we currently have while supporting efforts like the research and development tax credit that will lead to advancements in energy technology. Also, it is important to extend the production tax credit so we can further develop our wind power in a way that is affordable to both industry and consumers.

I remain committed to working towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. However, I do not believe we should do that at the detriment of crippling our economy. Please know that I will take a balanced approach considering both the environmental and economic impacts of all legislation regarding climate change that come to the floor in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance in the future or visit my website at www.house.gov/graves for more information.

Sincerely,
Sam Graves
Member of Congress