September 26, 2019

Duckworth Speaks at National Clean Energy Week Symposium

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today discussed the importance of clean energy to our nation’s economy, national security and environment during the National Clean Energy Week Symposium at the National Press Club. Duckworth, who serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, also highlighted legislation she has introduced to bolster our nation’s clean energy while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, such as the Low Income Solar Energy Act and the Energy Jobs for our Heroes Act. Photos of Duckworth speaking at the event are available here.

Key quotes:

  • “If you talk to military leaders, they have continually spoken about, whether or not you believe in climate change or support a carbon neutral future, that the U.S. military is going to be engaged on a global scale more and more frequently in conflicts that have to do with the effects of the climate crisis.”

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  • “I don’t think we can look towards the future without looking back at our history, and for too long we’ve literally been dumping on communities color and Native American communities… In Chicago alone, we have communities where the asthma rates among African American children are far higher than the rates among white children who live a mile away.”

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  • “He himself tweeted that he takes orders from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. I wish he’d take orders from these kids who are talking about a clean future.”

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Duckworth’s Low Income Solar Energy Act would expand the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), direct the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to create new financing programs for solar energy, provide Section 8 homeowner’s interest free loans and much more, while her Energy Jobs for our Heroes Act would help connect employers in the fast-growing solar, wind, nuclear and cyber energy industries with talented, highly-skilled Veterans. Duckworth is also a co-sponsor of the Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More (RECLAIM) Act, which focuses on providing opportunities for coal reclamation and economic development in communities impacted by the downturn in the coal industry.

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