Urges Johnson to Vote in Support of Clean Power Plan

Madison, Wisconsin – Today, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) launched a major ad campaign aimed at holding Senator Ron Johnson accountable for opposing the Clean Power Plan, which would place reasonable limits on carbon pollution for the first time. With the EPA’s final Clean Power Plan rule and related votes in Congress expected soon, the ads call upon constituents to contact Senator Johnson and urge him to vote against any bill that would stop or delay implementation of these important pollution safeguards. 

Watch “Disappear” 

Watch “7000”

Senator Ron Johnson’s irresponsible record puts Wisconsinites and their children’s health at risk. Senator Johnson has repeatedly voted to protect big polluters’ tax breaks and allow them to keep spewing unlimited carbon pollution into our air. The two ads highlight how Senator Johnson puts the profits of big polluters ahead of the health and financial well-being of Wisconsin families. 

“The Clean Power Plan could avoid up to 6,600 premature deaths and 150,000 asthma attacks in children. Senator Ron Johnson’s destructive attempts to curb the EPA’s enforcement of the proposed plan ignores scientific data, is hazardous to Wisconsinites’ health, and harmful to our children,” said Gene Karpinski, President of League of Conservation Voters. 

“Many of Wisconsin’s decision-makers, from Senator Johnson to Governor Walker, are abandoning their responsibility to protect Wisconsin’s citizens, their health, and their future from carbon pollution,” said Kerry Schumann, Executive Director of Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. “Our elected officials should protect public health and make Wisconsin a clean energy leader by supporting the Clean Power Plan.”

Despite power plants being responsible for 40 percent of the carbon pollution in the United States, right now there are no federal limits in place. It’s the EPA’s job to protect the public from pollution, and, just as we have protections for mercury, soot and smog, it’s common sense to limit carbon pollution from its largest source.

Scary predictions about Clean Power Plan related costs are just plain wrong. The Clean Power Plan will lower bills, avoid costs, and save lives if states develop flexible solutions. By 2030, the Clean Power Plan could shrink electricity bills by roughly eight percent per person by increasing energy efficiency and reducing demand in the electricity system. [Source: Georgia Institute of Technology]. That would save Americans an average of $10 each month on their home electricity bills, savings they wouldn’t see if Senator Johnson gets his way and states ignore the Clean Power Plan. [Source: Georgia Institute of Technology] By 2030, the Clean Power Plan could save consumers up to $45.8 billion on their home electricity bills. [Source: Georgia Institute of Technology]

Text: “Disappear”

Announcer: When Senator Ron Johnson led the fight to let power companies release unlimited carbon pollution into the air… he put polluters’ profits ahead of your family’s health.

Tell Senator Johnson to stop siding with polluters and vote for the Clean Power Plan.

Text: “7000”

Announcer: This is the average Wisconsin family. They pay over seven thousand dollars in federal taxes every year.

This is big oil. Their industry gets over seven thousand in tax subsidies. Every minute.

Tax dollars coming from us, going to them.

This is Senator Ron Johnson. He’s voted to protect their tax breaks and taken more than two hundred thousand dollars from the polluters.

Call Senator Johnson. Tell him to vote to protect people, not polluters.

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