Absolutely Everything Else: Message from Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Graham Nash

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Message from Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Graham Nash

Dear Nuke Free friends,

This is nuclear power's summer of desperation. It has just a few short weeks to grab billions in taxpayer funding for new nuclear plants.

Last time we wrote, a $9 billion package was being slipped into an "emergency" war appropriations bill. Amidst a wave of your letters, the vote did not happen.
The issue is now in the Senate, and has been greatly complicated by our efforts.

Now the industry is demanding $25 billion for unspecified projects. Again, your voice can make a difference.

Please join us (Bonnie, Jackson, Graham and the NukeFree team) in writing and calling the members of the House, and especially in calling members of the House Appropriations Committee, per the below alert from NIRS, and ask them to oppose this latest industry boondoggle. A key vote may come up as soon as Thursday afternoon.

Your voice HAS made a difference. But we need to keep shouting. Please contact Congress ASAP.

Thank you!!!

~ Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Graham Nash

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE TO MEET THURSDAY, JULY 15. WILL CONSIDER SPENDING BILL THAT INCLUDES $25 BILLION OF TAXPAYER MONEY FOR NEW REACTOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS. ACT NOW! TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ONE MORE TIME: NO TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES FOR NUCLEAR POWER!

Dear Friends,

We have to act again, and we have to act now.

A House Appropriations Subcommittee plans to hold another meeting to try to pass an energy budget for Fiscal Year 2011 on Thursday (July 15) afternoon.

As you may remember, the subcommittee had scheduled a meeting in June but cancelled it when some pro-nuclear Democrats (especially Chet Edwards (Tex.) and Chaka Fattah (Penn.) complained that the bill did not include the Obama Administration's request for $36 Billion to loan to wealthy nuclear utilities to build new nuclear reactors.

Since then, the House has passed $9 billion in new nuclear loans through the emergency supplemental funding bill (the Senate has not yet taken up that bill). Not satisfied with that, the pro-nuclear faction has succeeded in getting the rest--$25 Billion--on the energy appropriations bill that will be considered on Thursday.

Now we have to get this money removed from the bill. And your actions can make the difference.

Please send a message to your Representative now here. And please help us spread the word to your networks, friends and relatives: there isn't much time. Here is the link to the action page: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3179

And if your Representative is on the list below, he/she is on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy. Please call his/her office today with the simple message: Vote against all loans for new nuclear reactors. You can reach every member of Congress at 202-224-3121.

We don't need more radioactive waste, more radiation leaks, and higher electric bills--all the things more nuclear power would bring.

We had hoped to begin moving our attention to the Senate this week, which soon will be taking up energy/climate bills--with potentially disastrous nuclear provisions.

But first we have to stop $25 billion in new nuclear loans. So we all need to act, and act fast. Please send your letter here; if your Representative is listed below, please call him/her today.

And, last and probably least, if you can support this ongoing (and seemingly never-ending) campaign, please make a tax-deductible contribution here. Your support enables us to do this essential work.

Thanks for all you do,

Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnet@nirs.org
www.nirs.org

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water

Democrats