VIDEO: Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on Donald Trump’s War on Clean Energy
Washington D.C. – Today, Governor of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham discussed how President Donald Trump’s anti-science agenda is hurting the future of clean energy and American jobs. The video from Lujan Grisham is part of a series of Climate Power 2020 featuring elected leaders and experts from across the country focusing on the importance of immediate climate action.
“While New Mexico is working to lead the nation on building a clean energy future, Trump is attacking our jobs and making it harder for New Mexicans to support their families. Trump’s climate denial is a war on New Mexican workers,” said Lujan Grisham. “Without Trump’s climate denial, the United States would be building a formidable clean energy economy to lead the world, providing hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and economic stability.”
A June Pew Research survey found that 79 percent of adults say energy policy should emphasize the development of “alternative” sources like wind and solar. A March Climate Power 2020 survey found that 72 percent of Republican-leaning persuadable voters think that strong climate action will be good for the economy.
Analysis from Climate Power 2020 also revealed that President Donald Trump’s ongoing war on clean energy and his bungled response to COVID-19 has cost the United States more than 1.1 million good-paying clean energy jobs.
Trump repeatedly sought deep cuts to renewable energy funding with his budget request for fiscal year 2021 slashing $2 billion in funding from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs.
Transcript
Hello, I’m Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Here in New Mexico, we’re working to build a 100% clean energy economy. Our state, and all of the Southwest, is rich in natural beauty, and we take deep pride in the land, waters, and resources that make our home so unique.
We also know that those natural wonders are at risk, because of pollution and the climate crisis. Protecting our lands and way of life is critical. And it’s why we have no time to waste fighting back against Donald Trump’s war on clean energy.
While New Mexico is working to lead the nation on building a clean energy future, Trump is attacking our jobs and making it harder for New Mexicans to support their families. Trump’s climate denial is a war on New Mexican workers. Without Trump’s climate denial, the United States would be building a formidable clean energy economy to lead the world, providing hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and economic stability.
I know that bold legislation is necessary to reach our goals and hold our state accountable, even as the federal government continues to fail us. We are battling a fundamentally anti-jobs president, but we won’t stop working to build a new economy. New Mexicans believe in the need for bold action to combat climate change, and they want to move forward to take immediate steps to bring back the jobs that we’ve lost, because of Trump’s backward policies.