Senator Graham’s Claim that Climate Bill Must Be More Business-Friendly Is Wrong

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Nick Berning, 202-222-0748, [email protected]

Kelly Trout, 202-222-0722, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement earlier today that he is working on new climate change legislation because he thinks existing bills are “onerous on business” and he’d like to write more “business-friendly” legislation.

Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica had the following response:

“The energy and climate bill that passed the House last summer was one of the biggest pieces of corporate welfare ever to be considered by Congress, with $170 billion in giveaways to polluting industries. Big oil, dirty coal, corporate agribusiness — they all got a piece of the pie. The notion that the bill was onerous on business is laughable. Some of the worst polluters helped write the blueprint the bill was based on.

“Now these greedy corporations are angling for more, and Senator Graham is out to help them. This is special interest politics at its worst, and it is truly appalling. No wonder so many people are turned off by the ways of Washington.

“What’s needed is a bill that is less friendly to corporate polluters, not more. Congress should pass a bill that eliminates offsets and other loopholes, goes further to create clean energy jobs, and is more aggressive about reducing the carbon pollution that threatens our economy.”

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Friends of the Earth and our network of grassroots groups in 77 countries fight to create a more healthy, just world. Our current campaigns focus on clean energy and solutions to global warming, protecting people from toxic and new, potentially harmful technologies, and promoting smarter, low-pollution transportation alternatives.