We’re also proud to praise the 29 GOP representatives who voted for Congresswoman Nancy Johnson’s similar Arctic Refuge amendment to the House Energy Bill, which unfortunately did not pass. Their names are shown in green.
Likewise, we thank the 29 Republicans who supported Congressman Sherwood Boehlert’s Energy Bill amendment, which would have strengthened motor vehicle fuel efficiency standards. This amendment did not pass either, but we appreciate the willingness of those marked in black to take an independent position on improving fuel economy.
Those who voted for both amendments appear in bold italic green. We reserve our loudest cheers for them!
CO Joel Hefley, Scott McInnis
CT Nancy Johnson, Christopher Shays, Rob Simmons
DE Michael Castle
FL Michael Bilirakis, C.W. "Bill" Young
IA Jim Leach
IL Timothy Johnson, Mark Kirk, Ray LaHood
MD Roscoe Bartlett, Wayne Gilchrest
MI Vern Ehlers
MN Mark Kennedy, Jim Ramstad
NE Doug Bereuter
NH Charles Bass, Jeb Bradley
NJ Michael Ferguson, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Frank LoBiondo, Jim Saxton, Christopher Smith
NY Sherwood Boehlert, Sue Kelly, Peter King, Tom Reynolds, John Sweeney, James Walsh
OH Steve LaTourette
PA Jim Gerlach, Jim Greenwood, Todd Platts, Curt Weldon
VA Tom Davis
WA Jennifer Dunn
WI Thomas Petri, James Sensenbrenner
We also want to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank the following Congressional Republicans who are sponsoring or co-sponsoring four big public lands bills, all of which REP America enthusiastically supports:
Alaska Rainforest Conservation Act (HR 979) — Protects 13 million acres in the Tongass and Chugach national forests through wilderness and special management designations. Also adds segments of 81 rivers to the Wild and Scenic Rivers system. The Republican co-sponsors are Christopher Shays and Nancy Johnson (CT), and Jim Leach (IA).
Morris K. Udall Wilderness Act (HR 770); the untitled Senate version is S.543. — Designates the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, making it permanently off limits to oil drilling. The House Republican co-sponsors are Nancy Johnson and Christopher Shays (CT), Jim Leach (IA), Charles Bass (NH), Rodney Frelinghuysen and Christopher Smith (NJ), and Sherwood Boehlert (NY). The Senate Republican co-sponsor is Lincoln Chafee (RI).
Yellowstone Protection Act (HR 1130) — Requires the National Park Service to implement rule phasing out snowmobiles from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway. The Republican co-sponsors are Christopher Shays, Nancy Johnson and Rob Simmons (CT), Jim Leach (IA), Wayne Gilchrest (MD), and Sue Kelly (NY).
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (HR 1105) — Protects large swaths of wild land in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming by designating 18 million acres of wilderness, establishing the Hells Canyon/Chief Joseph National Preserve and Flathead National Park Preserve Study Area, adding 1,800 miles of wild and scenic rivers, designating 6.4 million acres of biological connecting corridors requiring special management, and establishing 995,000 acres of wildland recovery areas. The Republican co-sponsors are Christopher Shays and Nancy Johnson (CT), Jim Leach (IA), Mark Kirk (IL), Wayne Gilchrest (MD), Sherwood Boehlert and Jim Walsh (NY), Frank LoBiondo, Jim Saxton and Christopher Smith (NJ), and Jim Greenwood (PA).
