Patrick Toomey's Poor Environmental Record

Patrick Toomey is the current representative of the 15th Congressional District in Pennsylvania, which encompasses the Lehigh Valley. Mr. Toomey, a Republican, has a 7% environmental rating [Source: Non-partisan League of Conservation Voters].

Toomey is a right-wing conservative who consistently voted for legislation that is unpopular with Americans, including voting to drill at the Artic National Wildlife Refuge and along Florida's coasts. Despite his constituents' moderate views, he votes his own ideology. He is out of touch and out of step with our community, which values our quality of life and environment.

Toomey's anti-environmental record includes votes:

• Against improving fuel efficiency standards for new SUVs and light trucks (Vote # 311, 2001)
• Against maintaining the current prohibition on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (Vote #317, 2001)
• Against protecting public water and local communities from polluting mining activities (H.R. 2117, 2001)
• Against making it harder for the Department of Interior to safeguard public lands from oil and gas drilling and to offer incentives for drilling in sensitive offshore areas (Vote # 320, 2001)
• Against international environmental protections by supporting Permanent Normalized Trade Relations with China (PNTR) (Vote #228, 2000)
• Against protecting environmentally important wetlands (Vote # 341, 1999)
• Against delaying oil and gas exploration and development of Florida's coast, although majority of Florida citizens, including Republican Governor Jeb Bush, opposed the plan (amendment to H.R. 2217, 2001).

Incumbent Toomey has shown a lack of action on other important environmental votes. He does not appear to favor protecting roadless areas in our national forests, including Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest, from big industry development. A current bill has bi-partisan support from PA's congressmen and over 135 co-sponsors, but Toomey has ignored it (H.R. 4865, 2002). Toomey favors logging our legacy.

Representative Toomey places the desires of corporations above and beyond the needs of his own constituency. It is critical that we vote to remove him from office in November, 2002.

Click here to read the environmental positions of Democratic Candidate Ed O'Brien
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