Message from Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Graham Nash:
Dear Friends,
We have to act again, and we have to act now.
A House Appropriations Subcommittee plans to hold another meeting to try to pass an energy budget for Fiscal Year 2011 on Thursday (July 15) afternoon.
As you may remember, the subcommittee had scheduled a meeting in June but cancelled it when some pro-nuclear Democrats (especially Chet Edwards (Tex.) and Chaka Fattah (Penn.) complained that the bill did not include the Obama Administration's request for $36 Billion to loan to wealthy nuclear utilities to build new nuclear reactors.
Since then, the House has passed $9 billion in new nuclear loans through the emergency supplemental funding bill (the Senate has not yet taken up that bill). Not satisfied with that, the pro-nuclear faction has succeeded in getting the rest--$25 Billion--on the energy appropriations bill that will be considered on Thursday.
Now we have to get this money removed from the bill. And your actions can make the difference.
Please send a message to your Representative now here. And please help us spread the word to your networks, friends and relatives: there isn't much time. Here is the link to the action page: https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY...
And if your Representative is on the list below, he/she is on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy. Please call his/her office today with the simple message: Vote against all loans for new nuclear reactors. You can reach every member of Congress at 202-224-3121.
We don't need more radioactive waste, more radiation leaks, and higher electric bills--all the things more nuclear power would bring.
We had hoped to begin moving our attention to the Senate this week, which soon will be taking up energy/climate bills--with potentially disastrous nuclear provisions.
But first we have to stop $25 billion in new nuclear loans. So we all need to act, and act fast. Please send your letter here; if your Representative is listed below, please call him/her today.
And, last and probably least, if you can support this ongoing (and seemingly never-ending) campaign, please make a tax-deductible contribution here. Your support enables us to do this essential work.
Thanks for all you do,
Michael Mariotte Executive Director Nuclear Information and Resource Service nirsnet@nirs.org www.nirs.org
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water
Democrats
Chair: Peter J. Visclosky (IN)
Chet Edwards (TX)
Ed Pastor (AZ)
Marion Berry (AR)
Chaka Fattah (PA)
Steve Israel (NY)
John W. Olver (MA)
Lincoln Davis (TN)
John T. Salazar (CO)
Patrick Murphy (PA)
David R. Obey (WI), Ex Officio
Republicans
Ranking Member: Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ)
Zach Wamp (TN)
Michael K. Simpson (ID)
Dennis R. Rehberg (MT)
Ken Calvert (CA)
Rodney Alexander (LA)
Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio