Obama Wants More But Pelosi Remains Only Roadblock

Senator John Ensign, coauthor of the renewable energy bill being blocked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, released the following statement after Senator Barack Obama called for more investment in renewable energy:

“Every day that goes by, it becomes clearer and clearer that the only obstacle standing in the way of the development of renewable energy is Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  There is a disconnect between Senator Obama and Speaker Pelosi. It’s contradictory and hypocritical.

“What Barack Obama wants to do can be done right now.  On both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress, there is broad bipartisan support for more renewable energy.  If Speaker Pelosi would allow the House to vote on the Senate’s renewable energy compromise, the bill would be signed into law and result in hundreds of billions of dollars in economic investment in the United States.  For Nevada, which has been hit hardest by our struggling economy, this would mean tens of thousands of good jobs.

“I urge Speaker Pelosi to listen to Senator Obama when he says ‘we cannot wait’.  Speaker Pelosi remains the only roadblock left on the road to more renewable energy, a key component to energy independence.  America cannot afford to keep waiting.”

What Barack Obama Said

“I’ll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind power and solar power…” (Barack Obama, 9/30/2008)

“We cannot wait to create millions of new jobs by . . . investing in the renewable sources of energy that will stop us from sending $700 billion a year to tyrants and dictators for their oil.”  (Barack Obama, 9/30/2008)