Mark Begich on Energy & Oil

Democratic Challenger

Short term: $2.5B for LIHEAP; 70M bbl from strategic reserve

Begich said he sent letters to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, urging them to join in a bipartisan effort to tackle both short-term relief & long-term solutions in a national energy package to give help and hope to America's working families. Begich said the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel prices "is crippling many communities & stretching pocketbooks," and hospitals, schools and businesses are making tough budget decisions to cover record electricity bills. In his letter, Begich asked Senate leaders to:

add an extra $2.5 billion in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program;
clamp down on oil market speculators and price gouging by producers and distributors;
release 70 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve;
double tax credits for energy-efficiency home improvements and allow employers to create pre-tax flexible spending accounts for transportation costs.

Source: 2008 Alaska Senate Debate reported in Fairbanks News-Miner Sep 9, 2008

Long term: develop ANWR; build renewable energy plants

Congress must put aside partisan politics and implement a national energy package, Begich said in a letter to Senate leaders. In his letter, Begich wrote that American families need immediate bipartisan action from Congress and the president to bring short-term relief from high energy prices. As for long-term solutions, Begich urged Senate leaders to:

open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to responsible oil and gas development;
accelerate the sale of leases in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska;
provide incentives for oil and gas federal lease holders to develop quickly and supply the Alaska natural gas line;
create an loan fund to retrofit public buildings for energy efficiency;
offer low-interest loans to public utilities for transition to more efficient and renewable power generation;
build vocational education programs that train workers to construct, operate and maintain renewable energy generation plants and transmission systems.

Source: 2008 Alaska Senate Debate reported in Fairbanks News-Miner Sep 9, 2008

Support US participation in binding climate agreements

Q: Do you support caps on greenhouse gas emissions?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support U.S. participation in binding international climate agreements?

A: Yes.

Source: Citizens for Global Solutions: 2008 Senate questionnaire Sep 9, 2008

Open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Mark will work across party lines to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development. He will fight for an Alaska Energy Policy that includes building an Alaska natural gas pipeline and also developing Alaska's enormous renewable energy--hydro, tidal, geothermal and wind. With fellow mayors from Southcentral Alaska, Mark formed the Tri-Borough Commission which is spearheading a balanced Alaska energy policy emphasizing new development, conservation and renewable energy. Source: Campaign website, www.begich.com, "Issues" May 21, 2008

Alaska is ground zero for global warming

What I saw at Portage Glacier was, sadly, the rule & not the exception when it comes to the climate crisis in Alaska. Alaska is ground zero for global warming. I look around Alaska & see all the signs. Villages are literally being washed into the ocean. The polar ice cap is shrinking. Wildlife populations are being displaced and pests like the spruce bark beetle are destroying our forests. We have to do something. I've seen the value action at the municipal level has had in my city and around Alaska. Source: Campaign website, www.begich.com, "Issues" May 21, 2008

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*Other candidates on Energy & Oil:*		*Mark Begich on other issues:*
*AK Gubernatorial:* Sarah Palin *AK Senatorial:* Dave Cuddy Lisa Murkowski Ted Stevens Vic Vickers *2008 Senate retirements:* Wayne Allard(R,CO) Larry Craig(R,ID) Pete Domenici(R,NM) Chuck Hagel(R,NE) Trent Lott(R,MS) Craig Thomas(R,WY) John Warner(R,VA) *2008 Presidential Contenders:* Chuck Baldwin(C) Rep.Bob Barr(L) Sen.Hillary Clinton(D) Sen.Mike Gravel(L) Alan Keyes(C) Sen.John McCain(R) Rep.Cynthia McKinney(G) Ralph Nader(I) Sen.Barack Obama(D) Rep.Ron Paul(R)	*2008 Senate Races:* AK:Stevens v.Begich v.Cuddy v.Sikma AL:Sessions v.Figures AR:Pryor v.Kennedy CO:Schaffer v.Udall DE:Biden v.O`Donnell GA:Chambliss v.Martin v.Buckley IA:Harkin v.Reed ID:Risch v.LaRocco v.Rammell IL:Durbin v.Sauerberg v.Stafford KS:Roberts v.Jones v.Slattery KY:McConnell v.Lunsford LA:Landrieu v.Kennedy MA:Kerry v.Beatty v.Underwood ME:Collins v.Allen MI:Levin v.Hoogendyk v.Boman v.Nikitin MN:Coleman v.Franken v.Barkley v.Cavlan MS4:Wicker v.Musgrove MS6:Cochran v.Fleming MT:Baucus v.Kelleher NC:Dole v.Hagan NE:Johanns v.Kleeb v.Larrick NH:Sununu v.Shaheen v.Blevens NJ:Lautenberg v.Zimmer Pearce v.Udall OK:Inhofe v.Rice OR:Smith v.Merkley v.Brownlow RI:Reed v.Young v.Tingle SC:Graham v.Conley v.McBride SD:Johnson v.Dykstra TN:Alexander v.Tuke v.Lugo v.Heyward TX:Cornyn v.Noriega v.Jameson VA:Gilmore v.Warner WV:Rockefeller v.Wolfe WY4:Barrasso v.Carter WY6:Enzi v.Rothfuss	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Jobs Principles Social Security Tax Reform Technology War/Peace Welfare Other Senators House of Representatives SenateMatch (matching quiz) Senate Votes (analysis) House Votes Bill Sponsorships Affiliations Policy Reports Group Ratings

Page last updated: Nov 21, 2008