Sierra Club Statement on Senator Murkowski’s Vote to Raise Electricity Costs, Endanger Public Health, and Kill Jobs
By Kim Petty | Sierra Club on Comments Off on Sierra Club Statement on Senator Murkowski’s Vote to Raise Electricity Costs, Endanger Public Health, and Kill Jobs
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Senator Murkowski and Republicans in the United States Senate voted to endanger public health, kill clean energy jobs and their economic benefits, and raise costs for working families and small businesses—all to hand big tax breaks to billionaires and corporate polluters. Despite widespread public opposition to the many dangers of the bill, H.R. 1 passed by a vote of 51-50, with JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote.
Considered a swing vote, Murkowski made a critical overnight decision to support the bill that was amended heavily until minutes before it was voted on. While Murkowski carved out some health and food-aid concessions for Alaska, the Senate bill would end nearly all clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, gut fuel efficiency standards for cars, stifle industrial innovation, and give massive handouts to fossil fuel companies and polluters. The bill also requires additional lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but not only is drilling in the Arctic shortsighted from an environmental perspective, it has proven to be unprofitable as major oil companies have shown a lack of interest in previous lease sales.
The non-partisan CBO estimates that the bill will add $3.3 trillion in debt and result in more than 12 million Americans losing their health care coverage.
In response, Andrea Feniger, Alaska State Chapter Director of the Sierra Club, released the following statement:
Senator Murkowski threw away the opportunity to take a stand for both Alaskans and Americans alike. And for what, exactly? To pass a bill that will benefit greedy corporations and billionaires, a bill that she’s acknowledged isn’t ‘there yet.’ She could have joined three of her Republican colleagues in voting no, continuing to negotiate for better outcomes for our state and country. The few concessions Murkowski carved out for Alaska will not make up for this shortsighted plan that puts our families’ health and livelihoods at risk. While Republicans offer up our public lands for drilling and hinder new clean energy projects and the jobs they provide, the Sierra Club will continue to speak up for the majority of Alaska whose lands and people are sacrificed by this bill to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Senator Murkowski and Republicans in the United States Senate voted to endanger public health, kill clean energy jobs and their economic benefits, and raise costs for working families and small businesses—all to hand big tax breaks to billionaires and corporate polluters. Despite widespread public opposition to the many dangers of the bill, H.R. 1 passed by a vote of 51-50, with JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote.
