On Tuesday, July 27^th, Operation Free veterans, including several retired Generals and Admirals, met with Senators on Capitol Hill and then attended the White House Forum on Energy Security at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.  We met with Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, both Arkansas Democrats, and discussed the weakened energy legislation being considered in the Senate.  We heard from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman, and Special Assistant to the President for Climate Change and Clean Energy Carol Browner, in addition to many Deputy- and Undersecretaries and retired flag officers from all of the military services.  Operation Free veteran Robin Eckstein participated in a panel discussion at the forum as well.

As veterans, we are used to dealing with the military, an institution that will take quick and decisive action to change as necessary to deal with and respond to challenges.  We are also becoming familiar with the slow and deliberate pace of change in the United States Senate.  The events of the 27^th exhibited this perfectly.  Senators Pryor and Lincoln expressed to us that while they support eventually putting a price on carbon, they cannot agree on how it should be done.  They also expressed their support for clean, renewable energy sources but refuse to ‘pick winners and losers’ as far as which sources should be developed.  The overall message was that something needs to be done, but nothing will get done right now.

This contrasted greatly with the message we heard at White House Forum from the Pentagon and Department of Energy.  Secretary Mabus and Deputy Secretary Poneman both expressed a joint, clear vision of a military committed to breaking dependence on oil, increasing energy efficiency, and developing and implementing new clean energy sources to fuel the fight.  The military seems to be committed to getting done what the U.S. Congress cannot.

Our hope is that if Congress listens to the military on all other national security issues, it will eventually listen on this issue.  We are disappointed that the Senate could not get the votes for a stronger comprehensive clean energy bill that fully addresses the issues of climate change and energy independence, but feel that we are at least facing in the right direction now.  The U.S. intelligence establishment, the State Department, and the Pentagon acknowledge that this is an issue and the military is taking steps to address it.  Let’s hope that Congress follows their example and listens to the military and veterans on this important national security issue.  We need stronger measures and leadership in the Senate; Congress is not off the hook yet.

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