    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [February 27, 2003]
    [Pages 223-224]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Proposed Legislation To Implement the Clear Skies
    Initiative
    February 27, 2003

        In my State of the Union Address, I urged Congress to enact my
    aggressive and innovative plan to cut air pollution, the Clear Skies
    Initiative. Clear Skies will cut powerplant emissions by 70 percent--
    much further, faster, more cost-effectively and with more certainty than
    current law.
        Today, with the reintroduction of my legislation, Clear Skies takes
    an important step towards delivering health and environmental benefits
    to Americans. I am pleased that Chairman Tauzin J.
    ``Billy'' and Chairman Barton have
    introduced Clear Skies in the House and Chairman Inhofe and Chairman Voinovich
    have introduced it in the Senate.
        In the last 30 years, America has dramatically improved air quality.
    Clear Skies is the next step in this positive trend towards bringing
    cleaner air and better health to more of our citizens. We have learned a
    lot about what approaches work best, and now is the time to put those
    lessons to use.

    [[Page 224]]

        Clear Skies builds on the proven success of our most effective clean
    air program--the acid rain reduction program, which significantly
    reduced acid rain in the Northeast. Clear Skies expands this program so
    that in the next decade alone, we will remove 35 million more tons of
    pollution from the air than would the current Clean Air Act. This will
    also help protect our forests, lakes, streams, and coastal waters from
    acid rain, nitrogen, and mercury degradation. And Clear Skies will do
    this through the use of a market-based system that guarantees results
    while keeping electricity prices affordable for Americans.
        I thank Chairmen Tauzin, J. ``Billy''
    Inhofe, Barton, and
    Voinovich for their leadership on this
    important environmental initiative. Clear Skies represents cost-
    effective pollution reductions that make sense for the environment and
    the economy. Administrator Whitman Todd
    and I look forward to working with Congress to deliver the benefits
    promised by passage of Clear Skies legislation.