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Health & Fitness

Selectmen Chair DeWitt: A Republican U.S. Senate Would Put Tax Breaks For Big Oil Over A Clean Environment

Brookline Selectman Chair Betsy DeWitt made clear the consequences of a GOP-controlled U.S. Senate, starting with the impact on the environment.



If Scott Brown is reelected and Republicans take the Senate, they’ll put environmental policy in the hands of a Senator who called global warming “a hoax”

BROOKLINE – Today, Brookline Board of Selectman Chair Betsy DeWitt made clear the consequences of a GOP-controlled Senate, starting with the impact on the environment and the extremist likely to control environmental policy-making. He is an Oklahoma Republican who calls global warming “a hoax” and has worked to weaken critical environmental protections and continue billions in subsidies to big oil companies.


"I have worked to have my Town designated one of more than 100 Green Communities in Massachusetts.  We all are committed to reducing our carbon footprint, increasing energy efficiency in our public buildings, and adopting renewable energy sources as they become cost effective.  We want our elected representatives to support our municipal efforts to protect the environment."

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If Scott Brown is reelected and helps put the GOP in charge, environmental policy will be controlled by Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), who called global warming “a hoax” and has worked to weaken the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce environmental safeguards.  Brown and his GOP colleagues also have repeatedly voted to protect billions of subsidies to Big Oil companies, who are already among the most profitable corporations on earth [Vote 72, 5/17/11] [Roll Call Vote 63, 3/29/12]. A Republican takeover of the Senate would mean taxpayers will continue sending billions to the oil companies, and Republicans will be able to radically change environmental policies designed to protect our environment and keep air and water clean.
 
"Everything is on the line in this election, including the air we breathe and the water we drink," said Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "Republicans in the Senate want to make it impossible for the EPA to do its job to protect the health of our families. By electing strong Democrats like Elizabeth Warren to the Senate, we will create clean energy jobs and protect the environment and our families."
 
This past weekend, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) visited Somerville to meet with younger voters and discuss how a Republican takeover for the senate could be devastating for environmental policy. Senator Whitehouse discussed his own race in 2006, which helped tilt the balance of power and keep the Republicans from wielding the gavel in the Environment and Public Works Committee, among others.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SENATOR WHITEHOUSE DISCUSS CONTROL OF THE SENATE AND ITS IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

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If Scott Brown’s reelection gives the Republicans a majority in the Senate, they’ll be handing control of environmental policy and the Senate Environment Committee to Senator Inhofe. Sen. Inhofe is:
 
A CLIMATE CHANGE DENIER: Inhofe is the Senate’s most famous climate denier, writing a book entitled The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future, and arguing that only God can change the climate and to think otherwise is “arrogance” and “outrageous”. [Political Wire,3/9/12]
 
A STAUNCH DEFENDER OF POLLUTERS: Inhofe has taken more than over $2 million in campaign contributions from polluting utilities, mining, oil and gas companies. He’s also pushed to repeal mercury reduction standards that have bipartisan support and will save up to 11,000 lives annually and prevent 100,000 asthma and heart attacks annually. [OpenSecrets, 7/24/12 ; Times of Northwest Indiana,6/6/12; CNN, 6/20/12;]
 
ANTI-SCIENCE: Talking about the Environment and Public Works Committee’s progress during his tenure as a ranking member, he said “We haven’t really been doing anything because they’ve been wasting all of our time on all that silly stuff, all the hearings on global warming and all that,” Inhofe said. [New York Times, 9/17/10]

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