SEEC announces leaders for the 112th Congress
WASHINGTON, DC - This week the members of the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) announced their leadership officers for the 112th United States Congress. SEEC - a caucus of 46 House Democrats dedicated to advancing policies for clean energy, environmental protection, and addressing climate change - again elected Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Steve Israel (D-NY) to serve as Co-Chairs for the new Congress. SEEC also elected five vice chairs: Reps. Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Jared Polis (D-CO) will serve as Vice Chairs and Co-Whips; Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) will be Vice Chair for Communications; Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Vice Chair for Outreach; and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) was elected as Vice Chair for Membership.
The newly-elected SEEC leaders pointed to accomplishments in the 111th Congress as evidence of SEEC’s effectiveness in advancing its priorities, but warned that progress in these areas will become more difficult in a Republican-controlled House, and that their coalition will be forced to defend much of the progress that has been made on policies for clean energy and environmental protection.
“SEEC has become a powerful force inside Congress for innovative policy that leads our nation into the clean energy economy of the 21st century,” said Rep. Inslee. “I look forward to working once again with my co-chair, Representative Israel, as well Representatives Tonko, Holt, Pingree, Polis and Connolly, and the entire SEEC membership. We have proven that the good paying jobs of this century can be created in clean energy and that job creation and environmental protection can go hand in hand.”
"I am proud of the accomplishments of our coalition during the last two years, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to move our country toward a more prosperous, secure, and sustainable energy future," said Rep. Israel.
“I am excited and humbled to be elected by my colleagues to serve as Vice Chair for Communications of SEEC,” said Rep. Tonko. “In this capacity I want to be clear in expressing what SEEC members strive and fight for each and every day: creating jobs, growing the economy, protecting the air we breathe and the water we drink, and developing an innovation economy where ideas and science enable the United States to be the global leader on clean energy jobs and intellect. I look forward to working with co-chairs Israel and Inslee to advance these SEEC priorities together.”
“I am pleased to continue to serve as a vice chair for the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition in the 112th Congress. Investing in sustainable energy technologies leads to the creation of clean energy jobs, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the coalition to advance our job creating clean energy priorities,” said Rep. Holt.
“I am proud to be a member of SEEC and I look forward to building SEEC’s membership and joining my colleagues in protecting our environment and fighting pollution,” said Rep. Pingree.
“The Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition was a force to be reckoned with throughout the 111th Congress, and as some plan efforts to roll back our nation’s environmental protections and clean energy progress, I couldn’t be more thrilled to be on the front lines of that fight, standing up for our environment, economy and health as a vice chair of this caucus,” said Rep. Polis.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues, the Administration, and the business community to continue expanding production of clean energy and conservation of America’s great places,” said Rep. Connolly.
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The Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) is a caucus of forty-six Democratic members of the House of Representatives that was founded in January, 2009. SEEC is co-chaired by Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA.) and Steve Israel (D-NY) and supports “policies that promote clean energy technology innovation and domestic manufacturing, develop renewable energy resources, and create green collar jobs throughout the product supply-chain, (and) polices to help arrest global warming and protect our nation’s clean air, water and natural environment.”