Although the crucial 2006 Congressional elections are still eight months away, many in the environmental community are already at work preparing for some races in which environmental and public health issues could play a key role.
Indeed the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), a leading political voice for the environment, recently held a briefing at which it announced a first round of endorsements for some of November's Senate races. They include three Democrats and two Republicans.
In Washington state, incumbent Democrat Sen. Maria Cantwell--widely viewed as one of the most dedicated environmental champions in the entire Congress--received a strong endorsement for her race against millionaire insurance industry lobbyist Mike McGavick, the former CEO of SafeCo.
Another environmental champion, Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, received enthusiastic backing for his long record of environmental leadership. As a key member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Chafee blocked a number of his party's anti-environmental proposals.
Last March, for example, Chafee cast the deciding vote in committee against a Bush administration proposal to weaken the Clean Air Act. He also actively opposed the administration's widely criticized energy bill, and has repeatedly helped block his party's aggressive efforts to enable drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Chafee's Democratic opponent has not yet been selected.
In a race that is certain to receive widespread national attention, LCV endorsed Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, who at this point appears likely to face Rep. Katherine Harris. As Florida's secretary of state, Harris played a highly controversial role in the bitterly contested 2000 presidential race. Sen. Nelson has been a strong leader in blocking efforts via energy legislation and the federal budget to open the eastern Gulf of Mexico to drilling.
Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine is the fourth senator endorsed by LCV, citing her work on behalf of reducing mercury pollution, increasing fuel economy standards, combating global warming, and providing home heating aid for low-income families.
The fifth endorsement focuses on Pennsylvania, which many experts cite as perhaps the most important Senate race in the nation. Noting that GOP Senator Rick Santorum scored 0% on LCV's 2004 National Environmental Scorecard--as well as compiling an "abysmal 10% lifetime voting score"--the group will go to work on behalf of Pennsylvania State Treasurer Bob Casey.
LCV vice president for political affairs Tony Massaro notes that Casey "understands that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. He also understands we can't drill our way to energy independence," instead calling for major investments in hybrids, alternative energy sources, and conservation.
As for Santorum, Massaro cited the senator's "voting to weaken clean air and clean water protections. He also sided with corporate lobbyists when he supported deeply flawed energy legislation that rewards big oil companies while doing nothing to protect consumers from skyrocketing gas and home heating prices."
Other major groups have separate political arms that will soon be announcing their priorities. Among these groups are the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and Friends of the Earth Action.
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