[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 386 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 386

   Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should 
    establish a goal of more than 50 percent clean and carbon-free 
electricity by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, grow 
  the economy, increase shared prosperity, improve public health, and 
          preserve the national security of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 3, 2016

    Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Schumer, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Coons, Mr. Wyden, 
Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Nelson, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
 Udall, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Franken, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Warren, 
  Mr. King, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Carper) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should 
    establish a goal of more than 50 percent clean and carbon-free 
electricity by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, grow 
  the economy, increase shared prosperity, improve public health, and 
          preserve the national security of the United States.

Whereas failing to act on climate change will have a devastating impact on the 
        United States economy, costing billions of dollars in lost gross 
        domestic product;
Whereas extreme weather, intensified by climate change, has already cost 
        taxpayers billions of dollars each year in recovery efforts and the 
        amount will continue to grow if climate change is not addressed;
Whereas decreased economic growth and increased costs of infrastructure repairs 
        and other recovery efforts due to climate change will significantly 
        increase the budget deficit and undermine the fiscal stability of the 
        United States;
Whereas climate change will have devastating public health implications, 
        including--

    (1) increased rates of asthma and other respiratory diseases, 
especially in vulnerable populations, including children and low-income 
communities;

    (2) the spread of infectious diseases;

    (3) risks to food and water supplies; and

    (4) an increased number of premature deaths;

Whereas inaction on climate change will disproportionately impact communities of 
        color and exacerbate economic inequalities;
Whereas the Secretary of Defense has identified climate change as a threat 
        multiplier that will increase global instability and conflict;
Whereas the transition to a clean energy economy is feasible with existing 
        technology; and
Whereas the transition to clean energy will--

    (1) create millions of jobs;

    (2) increase--

    G    (A) the gross domestic product of the United States; and

    G    (B) household income;

    (3) save--

    G    (A) billions of dollars in avoidable health costs; and

    G    (B) lives and improve public health;

    (4) lower energy bills for businesses and consumers;

    (5) help the United States achieve the international emissions 
reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 26 to 28 percent of 
2005 levels by 2025; and

    (6) unlock billions of dollars in private investment: Now, therefore, 
be it

    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the United States 
should--
            (1) establish a national goal of more than 50 percent clean 
        and carbon-free electricity by 2030; and
            (2) enact legislation to accelerate the transition to clean 
        energy to meet that goal.
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