Are Americans Ready for Change?

As President Obama said in his speech, America has postponed getting off our oil addiction for decades. In the late 1970s, President Carter made the first call to wean ourselves off from oil – if we had done it then, the job would have been completed in 1985. Recent polls show that Americans want the government to prioritize renewable energy. A poll conducted by Benenson Strategy Group found that 63% of likely 2010 voters support an energy bill that limits pollution and encourages companies to use and develop clean energy. Why then is the energy bill languishing in the Senate? The House approved a bill a year ago, and versions have passed in Senate committees. It’s time for a Senate vote, but like every single bill since Obama entered office, Republicans filibustered it, forcing 60 votes for passage instead of a simple majority. Those 60 votes are nowhere to be found because conservative Democrats and all Republicans are against the bill. How can that be if the majority of Americans are in favor of it? Typical criticisms of the bill – it will destroy jobs, destroy our economy and increase taxes – are simply not true. The Environmental Protection Agency […]

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