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Sierra Club Endorses Frank Kratovil for Congressional District 1
Sierra Club Endorses Frank Kratovil for Congressional District 1
The Sierra Club joined with three other major environmental groups in a
spirit of urgency and unity to endorse Queen Anne’s State’s Attorney
Frank Kratovil in the race for Congress in Maryland’s 1st Congressional
District. Kratovil is running against State Senator Andy Harris from
Cockeysville.
The 1st Congressional District encompasses 12 of Maryland’s 23 counties
– including a big chunk of Anne Arundel and the entire Eastern Shore –
with hundreds of miles of coastline especially sensitive to pollution
and over-development. The citizens of the Maryland 1st have a long
history of sending representatives to Washington who represent common
sense bi-partisan solutions for the district’s most visible and
precious resource – the Chesapeake Bay.
“Frank Kratovil has the balance and commitment we truly need to protect
our farms, manage our development and protect the natural wonder of the
Chesapeake Bay area,” said David Prosten, Chair of Anne Arundel County
Sierra Club. “Andy Harris has shown nothing but contempt for efforts to
protect the environment. He is seriously out of step with voters, who
care about protecting open spaces, preserving public lands and saving
the Chesapeake Bay itself. Look at his campaign website: the
environment isn't even seen as an issue worthy of mention.”
“It is essential that we continue to have members of Congress who will
stand up and speak out to protect the Chesapeake Bay,” said David
Phelps, national political director for Clean Water Action. "Clean
Water Action is confident Frank Kratovil will be a powerful advocate
for a wide range of important environmental issues. We see no such
evidence of commitment or support from his opponent in this race.”
A clear example is Harris’ vote for delaying a ban on phosphorous in
detergent. Proctor & Gamble was the only major company to lobby for
passage. All of its competitors had already either begun or completed
the transition toward phosphorous-free detergents. When faced with a
clear choice between Proctor & Gamble or the Bay, Harris voted to
side with the well-funded corporate polluter over the citizens of
Maryland’s 1st Congressional District.
“Frank Kratovil supports common sense solutions to our energy crisis,
including creation of a national renewable energy standard and shifting
tax breaks from oil companies to clean energy,” said Environment
Maryland State Director Brad Heavner. “My interactions with Andy Harris
in Annapolis have shown me that he is consistently anti-solar power,
anti-energy efficiency, and pro-dirty power. Electing Andy Harris would
be like sending Dick Cheney back to Congress.”
“Andy Harris has earned an abysmal 9% lifetime score from the Maryland
League of Conservation Voters,” said Maryland LCV Executive Director
Cindy Schwartz. “Of the 91 environmental votes that we scored during
his career in the Senate, Andy Harris voted with the environment just
eight times. He voted to build in the Blackwater National Wildlife
Refuge, he voted against the Healthy Air Act and the Clean Cars Act, he
voted to allow seven tons of phosphorous to pollute the Chesapeake Bay,
and he fought against every initiative to combat the effects of global
warming.”
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