Fighting to Protect Our Environment and to Provide Energy Security
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As a U.S. Senator, Paul Wellstone represents Minnesota's families when it comes to energy and the environment. Often that means taking on big polluters and big oil to protect our air and water and help Minnesota's economy. Wellstone promotes clean air, clean water, and a sound energy policy that places Minnesotans over the profits of big polluters and big oil.

 

 

Stopped the plan to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge when it came up the first time. Soon after arriving in Washington and being sworn in as a United States Senator, Paul Wellstone stood up to the big oil companies and helped stop the attempt to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, one of America's last great wilderness treasures.

Paul Wellstone is ready to again stop attempts to open ANWR. The Bush/Coleman energy plan calls for drilling in ANWR and Paul has vowed to filibuster their proposal.

Wellstone Presses for More Conservation and Renewable Energy Instead of the Bush/Cheney/Coleman Energy Package. Paul Wellstone says that President George W. Bush's proposed energy plan is the wrong path for our country. It promotes more oil drilling environmentally sensitive areas, loosens pollution controls on coal and oil refineries, and cuts existing federal support for research and development of clean, renewable energy sources. The Bush/Cheney/Coleman plan provides $33 billion in tax breaks to oil and energy companies. It fails to offer solutions to short-term energy problems facing consumers, and for the long-term, it looks backwards to more coal, oil and nuclear power instead of conservation first and other sources like solar, wind and biofuels."

Wellstone Supported A Measure Barring Leases For Oil Drilling Within National Monuments. Paul Wellstone supported a measure that prohibited leasing land for oil exploration within national monuments unless it is explicitly permitted under the Presidential proclamation that established the monument.

Wellstone Fought to Protect the Clean Air Act. Paul Wellstone voted three times to block the Republican regulator "reform" bill that would have allowed polluters to indefinitely postpone the EPA rules that would enforce the Clean Air Act.

Wellstone Opposed GOP Efforts to Gut the Endangered Species Act. Paul Wellstone strongly opposed a measure offered by Sen. Hutchison that would have rescinded monies to enforce the act.

Wellstone Opposed GOP Efforts to Slash Funding to Enforce Environmental Laws. Paul Wellstone voted against a GOP funding bill that slashed funding for the EPA to enforce environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act.

Wellstone has championed the Superfund Program. Paul Wellstone worked hard to increase funding to the Superfund environmental clean-up program by $431 million. He opposes the current Bush Administration effort to weaken the Superfund program by letting polluters off the hook.