RELEASE: Space Votes Against Clean-Coal, Oil Drilling

Release:

Mt. Vernon, OH – Last night, Rep. Zack Space (D-Dover) voted for his liberal leadership's "no-energy" energy bill that does nothing for clean-coal technology, puts more of our natural resources off-limits and will not help lower the price of gas.

The poorly named Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act is not comprehensive and does not protect consumers. It does, however, include an earmark dropped into the bill under the cover of night with zero public scrutiny from ethically-challenged Rep. Charles Rangel, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who has given more than $20,000 to Space's campaign.

"Zack Space once again thumbed his nose at the 18th Congressional District, voting to send millions of our tax dollars to big cities to subsidize transportation – including $2 billion for one project in New York City," Dailey said. "In voting against Ohio coal, Space voted against our mines and our jobs. Thanks to Zack Space, we'll continue to pay more and more money for gas while getting less and less income from fewer jobs. This is just one more example of Zack Space saying one thing in eastern Ohio and doing another in Washington."

The scam "no-energy" energy bill:

Delays the reduction of the coal excise tax from $1.10 per ton from underground and 55 cents per ton from surface mines to 50 cents per ton from underground and 25 cents per ton from surface mines until 2018. Originally, the rates were scheduled to lower in 2013;

Does nothing to promote the development of advanced clean coal and coal-to-liquid technologies;

Does not repeal the prohibition on government contracting for alternative fuels, such as coal-to-liquids;

Gives coastal states zero incentives to "opt-in" to an off-shore drilling program because the federal government will get 100 percent of any drilling revenue;

Continues to prohibit oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) where it's estimated we could get more than 5,400 barrels of oil per day;

Authorizes $750 million in both 2008 and 2009 for big city transportation departments while non-city areas will only get $100 million for each year, subsidizing city dwellers' rides on the backs of rural students and commuters;

Includes zero provisions to explore the oil-rich shale in the American West where the U.S. Department of Energy estimates we could find 2 trillion barrels of oil.

The bill also gives a boost to the embattled Rangel, Congress' chief tax-writer who is under an ethical cloud for failing to properly report and pay his taxes. The earmark adds $2 billion to the federal budget for New York Liberty Zone tax credits to build a rail line from downtown Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Despite Rangel calling for an ethics investigation into himself and his hometown paper, the New York Times, calling for him to step aside as the tax-writing committee chairman, Space is standing by his man:

"Charlie Rangel is a man of his word … we have to let the ethics process work," Space said. (The Hill, 9/15/08)

Space claimed on his website, www.zackspace.org: "I don't care if you are a Republican or a Democrat; if you don't practice the highest of ethical standards, you must step aside."

"Zack Space should put his money where is mouth is on ethics and return Charlie Rangel's tainted cash," Dailey said.