WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), proudly earned a 100 percent rating on the League of Conversation Voters (LCV) National Environmental Scorecard in his fight for clean air and water and a healthy planet for future generations.

“There is so much cynicism in our politics today that I’m often asked by Delawareans if I feel angry or despondent about the way things are in Washington. The truth is, I love my job, especially as the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, because I feel so energized to keep working so that every person living in this country has clean air to breathe, safe water to drink and a healthy planet for their children and grandchildren to call home,” Senate Carper said. “In times like these, I couldn’t be prouder to earn a 100 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters.”

“Over the last two years, the Trump Administration has launched a torrent of rollbacks and flat-out attacks on our environmental protections and climate progress. While we fight back against the administration’s reckless actions and nominees, we can never lose sight of what we’re fighting for
,” Senator Carper continued. “We need to put the United States back in the driver’s seat of the global clean energy economy. Over the last four decades, I’ve said again and again that we can protect our environment and grow our economy. In fact, the two go hand in hand. I look forward to the work ahead of us to protect our planet for future generations while strengthening and growing the greatest economy on Earth.”

According to LCV, since 1970, the National Environmental Scorecard has provided objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered and the corresponding voting records of all members of Congress. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from about 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who select the key votes on which members of Congress should be scored. LCV scores votes on the most important issues of the year, including energy, global warming, public health, public lands and wildlife conservation, and spending for environmental programs.

Each vote scored has been assigned to one or more issue categories. There are 12 total categories, which are described below:

  • Air – Votes on air pollution, including votes related to the Clean Air Act. 
  • Clean Energy – Votes on renewable energy and energy efficiency. 
  • Climate Change – Votes directly related to global warming pollution and increasing climate resilience for communities and wildlife. 
  • Dirty Energy – Votes on polluting energy sources, including conventional fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal; non-conventional fossil fuels such as tar sands; and harmful energy subsidies for nuclear energy and fossil fuels. 
  • Drilling – Votes on drilling onshore and in the waters off the nation’s coasts.
  • Lands/Forests – Votes addressing both private and public lands and forests, including wilderness designations, federal land management agencies, logging, mining, and grazing.
  • Oceans – Votes on ocean conservation issues, including fisheries management. 
  • Other – A broad catch-all category that includes votes on overhauling the regulatory process, sweeping funding cuts, the National Environmental Policy Act, federal appointments and nominations, campaign finance reform, trade, family planning, and eminent domain/takings, among other issues.
  • Toxics/Public Right to Know – Votes on the use of and exposure to toxic chemicals (including pesticides), the public’s right to know if they are at risk, and Superfund sites. 
  • Transportation – Votes on transportation and vehicle fuels policy, including fuel efficiency standards, biking and walking infrastructure, transit, and rail.
  • Water – Votes on water quality and quantity issues and water pollution, including votes related to the Clean Water Act.
  • Wildlife – Votes on fish (freshwater and saltwater) and wildlife issues, including the Endangered Species Act.

 

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