Even as we contemplate the grim prospect of a glow from the Connecticut River illuminating both our homes and our livers; even as the Vermont “brand” twists in the winds of VY indecision, there is at least one thing to celebrate about environmental initiative in Vermont. The League of Conservation Voters just released the latest results from their National Environmental Scorecard, and our DC delegation came up smelling of roses:
Senator Leahy – 100%
Senator Sanders – 100%
Representative Welch – 93%
From the Vermont League of Conservation Voters own press release:
Montpelier, VT – Today, the Vermont League of Conservation Voters joined the national League of Conservations Voters in releasing the 2009 National Environmental Scorecard, revealing scores for the Vermont delegation in the first session of the 111th Congress. For 30 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues.
“We applaud those members of the Vermont delegation who fought in 2009 to bring clean energy jobs to the state and reduce our national dependence on foreign oil, such as Senators Leahy and Sanders as well as Representative Welch ” said Vermont LCV Executive Director, Todd Bailey. “The 2009 Scorecard clearly exposes Vermont’s entire delegation for what they really are: willing to put corporate polluters and other special interests ahead of a cleaner, more secure energy future for Vermont.”
The 2009 Scorecard includes 11 Senate and 13 House votes dominated by clean energy and climate but also encompassing other environmental issues such as public lands, water and wildlife conservation. In Vermont, both Senator Leahy and Sanders earned a perfect 100 percent score in 2009. Representative Welch, Vermont’s lone House member, score in 2009 was 93 percent with an average Senate score of 100 percent.
“The 2009 National Environmental Scorecard illustrates the extent to which the Obama administration and the 111th Congress began to move our nation towards a clean energy future that will create new jobs, make America more energy independent and curb global warming pollution,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “However, it also makes clear that there is still much work to be done, first and foremost to finish the work started in the House by swiftly passing a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill in the Senate.”
Representative Welch voted for the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act, which would help bring more than 4,270 clean energy jobs to Vermont.*