This is the fourth article in a continuing series by the NRDC Action Fund looking at candidates’ environmental stances in key races nationwide.  

Michigan’s 7th Congressional District takes in five counties in southern Michigan plus parts of two others. Though the 7th gave birth to the Republican Party in 1854, today it’s represented in the House by Democrat Mark Schauer. This fall, Schauer will face former Representative Tim Walberg , whom Schauer narrowly defeated (48.8%-46.5%) in 2008.

In his first term in Congress, Rep. Schauer proved to be an environmental champion. He received a 100% rating from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) in 2009, and voted in favor of the historic American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), the first global warming bill to ever pass a chamber of Congress. Following the vote, Schauer said he supported ACES because his “top priority as a member of Congress is to fight for Michigan jobs, and this bill will help put our people back to work…This is the jumpstart we need to turn Michigan’s economy around and help break our dependence on foreign oil.” In a statement, he added that ACES will “allow us to crack down on polluters while reducing deadly emissions that contaminate the water we drink and pollute the air we breathe.”
 
This was a marked change from Walberg, who carried the banner for Big Oil during his time in DC. In his own words, he: “introduced, fought for and demanded votes on legislation to immediately drill in places like the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf off the Atlantic coast and to increase our refinery capacity.” In fact, in 2008, the LCV named him to their “Dirty Dozen” list of the worst environmental actors in Congress. According to the LCV, Walberg “distinguished himself as one of the most anti-environment members of the 2006 Congressional class…voted against clean, renewable energy and is an adamant supporter of the failed Bush/Cheney energy policies that serve only to increase profits for ExxonMobil and the other big oil companies.” The LCV added that Walberg “voted against repealing subsidies to Big Oil, against increasing the use of renewable electricity and against efforts to help American drivers go further on a gallon of gas.”
 
On the campaign trail Walberg is attacking Rep. Schauer for standing up for the environment, and questioning the science behind global warming. At a town hall meeting in 2008, Schauer responded to a question about climate change by questioning the scientific evidence: “I read scientists, editors…an equal number at the very least that say just the opposite that this is something that’s gone on for eons, that we go through these cycles,” and by joking that “if this isn’t warming, give me more warming!” Judging by his vote in favor of ACES, one hopes he figured out the difference between junk science and expert climate scientists. Let’s hope Walberg gets the memo. 

The NRDC Action Fund believes that it is important for the public in general, and the voters of specific Congressional districts, be aware of this information as they weigh their choices for November.