LCV and Conservation Voters New Mexico Endorse Tom Udall for U.S. Senate

From the League of Conservation Voters:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The League of Conservation Voters and Conservation Voters New Mexico announced today their joint endorsement of Congressman Tom Udall for the U.S. Senate, citing Udall's unparalleled leadership in defending New Mexico's public lands and creating a clean, renewable energy future. 

"Tom Udall understands the need to develop clean, renewable energy, not just to defend against global warming, but to create jobs and increase the security of our country," LCV National President Gene Karpinski said. "And when it comes to protecting our lands, our water, our air, our health and our economy, Tom Udall ranks among the country's best legislators. We need real champions like Tom in the Senate, which is why this race is a national priority."

"The health and beauty of the Land of Enchantment have no greater champion than Congressman Udall," said Sandy Buffett of Conservation Voters New Mexico. "In Congress, his work has already helped protect the Valle Vidal from drilling and his support for renewable energy has created new green collar jobs here in the state."

"I am thrilled to accept this endorsement today from President Karpinski, Director Buffett and all the members of LCV and CVNM," said Udall. "I am even more thrilled at the chance to fight for these issues in the United States Senate. During my five terms of service in the House, I have been a leading voice in calling for our nation's efforts to end our fossil fuel addiction, develop alternative sources of energy, secure our energy independence and reduce green house gas emissions. For me, and so many New Mexicans, these are more than buzzwords, they are the economic future of New Mexico and the moral imperative of this country. As New Mexico's next Senator, I will fight to make them a reality."

Udall's lifetime League of Conservation Voters score of 96%  stands in stark contrast to his potential opponents Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce, whose lifetime scores are a disappointing 14% and 1% respectively. Pearce and Wilson have been on the wrong side of the debate on issue after issue, choosing to give tax-breaks to polluting industries instead of supporting a clean energy future.  For more information on LCV scores, visit www.lcv.org/scorecard.

Beyond his voting record, Congressman Udall shows true leadership in Washington on key conservation issues:

·   He founded the Peak Oil Caucus, a group of legislators dedicated to finding new solutions to our energy needs and investing in the solar and win technologies that will create thousands of green jobs here in New Mexico.

·   In 2004, he stood up to the Bush administration's efforts to gut the National Forest Management Act, defending unspoiled public lands here in New Mexico and across the country.

·   Most recently, in 2007 he led the charge to create a meaningful national renewable electricity standard, by first introducing a bipartisan and widely supported bill requiring utility companies to produce 20% of their electricity using clean, renewable sources by the year 2020, and then offering a 15% by 2020 amendment that passed the House twice, but was stripped from the final energy package by a small minority in the Senate. 

LCV, the nation's independent voice for the environment, engages in public education, lobbying and accountability to turn environmental values into public policy.  LCV has made global warming and America's energy future a central focus of its activities in Congress and in the 2008 election cycle.