Coalition Applauds President Bush's Commitment to Comprehensive Energy Legislation

WASHINGTON, April 27, 2005 /PRNewswire

The Coalition for Affordable and Reliable Energy (CARE) today praised President Bush's call for a comprehensive energy strategy to help America meet the energy needs of a growing economy in environmentally responsible ways.

In a speech at the Small Business Administration (SBA) Expo '05, the President conveyed the urgency of adopting significant energy legislation to U.S. SBA members and validated his commitment to achieving a workable, bi- partisan plan in the best interest of the nation.

"Comprehensive legislation is critical to ensure affordable and reliable supplies of energy, promote economic well-being, and protect both the health of our citizens and our environment cost-effectively," said Paul Oakley, CARE's executive director. "We agree strongly with the President that the time for a strategic and forward-looking energy policy is now."

The President has long been an advocate of sensible energy legislation. In his State of the Union address earlier this year, Bush endorsed: passage of legislation to cut power-plant pollution; promotion of energy conservation and alternative sources of energy, including hydrogen-fuel, clean coal, and ethanol; and more reliance on domestic energy sources, including coal and nuclear energy.

"Affordable and reliable energy is crucial not only for small businesses and industry, but also for consumers, farmers and food producers. The need for a national energy policy that provides American families and businesses with a reliable supply of affordable energy continues to rise," said Oakley. "It's time for Congress to work with the Bush Administration to take much- needed legislative action."

CARE will continue to work with Republicans and Democrats, as well as labor, consumer groups and others to enact legislation to further improve our air quality and to ensure affordable and reliable energy to fuel our economy.

CARE was formed in 2000 to advocate adoption of a comprehensive energy policy that will enable the United States to meet its energy needs and strike a sensible balance among the nation's social, economic, national security, environmental and energy goals. Today, CARE is actively engaged in a wide variety of energy and environmental issues, but the coalition's fundamental mission has remained the same: ensuring the availability of affordable and reliable supplies of energy for America's families and businesses.

Visit http://www.careenergy.com  for more information.

SOURCE Coalition for Affordable and Reliable Energy

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