The National Council of Churches renews its call for this Congress to take strong and swift action to address the global climate crisis.  Our brothers and sisters across the planet and all of God’s good creation are already suffering from the impacts of a changing climate.  We believe that the United States, as the world’s largest historic emitter, has a moral obligation to swiftly reduce its emissions and provide sufficient assistance for those living in poverty in the US and around the world.

We are thankful that Senators Kerry and Lieberman understand the urgency of this issue and hopeful that yesterday’s introduction of the American Power Act will spur renewed interest and swift action by the full Senate. 

For years, the National Council of Churches and its member denominations/communions have lifted up three priorities for any climate legislation: strong emissions reductions in line with scientific recommendations, protections for those living in or near poverty in the United States from rising energy costs, and robust international adaptation assistance.

While falling short of the scientific recommendations for short-term emissions reductions targets, the American Power Act would place the US on a path towards significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and encourages our transition to a greener energy future.  Further, we applaud the Senators for their commitment to low-income consumer protection. The Act provides sufficient resources to meet fully the needs of those living on the economic margins in the U.S.,  who otherwise would be pushed further into poverty as a result of increased energy and related costs.  We appreciate that the legislation recognizes the U.S.’s responsibility to protect communities abroad from the worst impacts of climate change. However, it fails to provide adaptation assistance in a timely and sufficient manner to meet the growing needs of those living in poverty around the world. We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to fully meet our obligations.

However, the American Power Act also includes a number of troublesome provisions that must be resolved as the debate moves forward.  We are particularly alarmed at the expedited process for investment in and approval of new nuclear power plants that would, as written, exclude the voices of affected communities in the permitting and licensing process.  And in light of the unfolding tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico, we have grave concerns over the offshore drilling provisions which, even with late changes, fail to sufficiently protect coastal communities and fragile coastal ecosystems.

The legislation unveiled yesterday is the product of months of bipartisan negotiation and compromise – a testament to the steadfast commitment by the authors to this issue. We hope Senate leadership demonstrates an equal level of bipartisan commitment in bringing to the floor and passing legislation that reflects our shared vision of justice for God’s creation and all God’s people.