Press Release
12/02/08Senate Majority Leader Reid Headlines Third Way Discussion On Clean Energy Economy
Washington, DC— Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today headlined an event hosted by Third Way focused on a clean energy future. The event, titled The New Revolution: America’s Clean Energy Future, was a roundtable discussion with a broad range of business, labor and other players in the energy debate. It is the second in a series of conversations that Third Way is convening with policy leaders that began at the Democratic convention in Denver.
Senator Reid announced at the event that he would lead a major push in the Senate early next year to pass energy legislation: “As the new Congress convenes, I will make it a priority to work with the Obama administration to advance bold, broad policy ideas to that can bring America a vibrant clean energy economy and a healthy environment.” He noted that the event had drawn together a diverse group of participants from the business community, organized labor, environmental advocates, and policy experts to offer insights for him to consider as the Senate begins to review clean energy legislation.
Senator Reid said that he is working with his colleagues in the Senate to draft a roadmap to a clean energy revolution, and this event was an important step in helping him ascertain the various dimensions of the challenge and opportunity of this enormous change for the American economy. He also made clear his commitment to making the development of a clean energy economy a priority over the next several years: “If past is prologue – and it is – we know that this clean energy revolution will be complicated. But that is why we are here: to build upon our dreams and aspirations to change the earth. We already see early ripples of change in big cities and small towns, on Wall Street, Main Street, and across America.
Third Way Vice President Matt Bennett, who moderated the discussion, said: “We were honored that Leader Reid was here to share his thoughts and hear the views of those at the front lines of the new energy discussion. Through is skillful leadership in the Senate, Harry Reid is playing a pivotal role in moving America toward a clean energy future.”
Third Way has launched a major project to examine the issue of clean energy in light of the fact that it will touch almost every important issue facing Washington in the coming year: economic stimulus and revitalization, U.S. national security, responding to climate change, and American global leadership. Their discussion series is an effort to bring leading political actors together with those at the front lines of implementing that change.
Reid noted that “the energy situation can’t be solved by the private sector, by consumers, and by state and local governments alone; we have to work together with leadership by the federal government.”
Bennett continued: “The new leadership in Washington has a large and complex series of challenges before them if we are to achieve a clean energy revolution. We are lucky indeed to have leaders as capable and committed to this challenge as Majority Leader Reid.”
Contact:
Sean Gibbons (202) 384-1730
Jill Pike (202) 384-1708