U.S. Senate Committee on
Environment and Public Works
MOMENTUM BUILDS FOR SENATE’S
STRONGEST GLOBAL WARMING LEGISLATION
Senators Obama, Clinton, Biden, Mikulski, and Cardin
Co-sponsor Sanders-Boxer Bill
           
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and Senator Bernard Sanders (D-VT) today made the following remarks regarding the momentum building in the U.S. Senate for strong action to curb the pollution that causes global warming.  They announced today that Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) have joined the growing list of co-sponsors of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309). 
 
Senator Boxer said: “I am very pleased that five more Senators have joined the list of sponsors of the Sanders-Boxer bill, which now brings us to 17 co-sponsors.  Public support for swift action on global warming is growing, and more and more Senators are joining the call for strong, mandatory action to control greenhouse gas emissions.  The Sanders-Boxer bill is the ‘gold standard’ because it would set us on a path to the emissions reductions the scientists tell us are necessary to stabilize the planet’s climate.”
 
Senator Sanders said: “There is no question that the American people want strong action.  They know we can reverse global warming and in the process create millions of good paying jobs as well.  I am delighted to see so many Senators signing onto our legislation to dramatically reduce heat-trapping emissions, make the United States a leader in energy efficiency and conservation technology, and promote clean, sustainable sources of energy.”
 
The complete list of sponsors of S. 309 is as follows:  Sen. Bernard Sanders (D-VT); Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA); Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI); Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-WI); Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI); Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA); Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ); Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT); Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ); Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI); Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT); Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL); Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY);Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Sen. Joseph R. Biden (D-DE) and Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD).
 
The Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309) is the strongest global warming legislation bill introduced to date.  The bill sets out a roadmap of targets, requirements and incentives to reduce U.S. emissions and help stabilize global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, and requires that the U.S. reduce its emissions by 2050 to a level that is 80 percent below 1990 levels. 
 
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