One year ago, hundreds of veterans joined Operation Free in the fight for a cleaner, stronger, safer America.  For the past year, your voice has been strongest among the millions of Americans calling for climate and energy reform.

You understand the hard facts that many in Washington choose to ignore. You are among the 79% of veterans who understand that energy, climate, and national security are inextricably linked and the many millions of Americans who have seen the connection themselves. You know that ending our addiction means we stop funding our enemies and keep $100 million away from Iran every day.

There have been many accomplishments along the way:

Last October, you helped us launch the Veterans for American Power bus tour.  For three weeks, two buses traced across the country, spreading your message of safe, clean, American power.

Later that year, many of you flew into Washington to share your ideas, lobby your Senators, and hear encouraging words from military and national security leaders such as Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.

In early 2010, in cooperation with our coalition partner VoteVets, we launched “Tough,” our first hugely successful ad starring Purple Heart recipient Chris Miller.  The national ad helped Operation Free break into the mainstream and had many across the country talking about energy in a way that they had never thought of before.

Meanwhile we launched the second leg of the Veterans for American Power tour.  Since October the bus has spread your message over 26,000 miles at more than 175 stops.

Another hugely successful ad, “Boot,” aired all over the country, urging specific Senators to rise above the “bickering” in Washington and take action to tackle comprehensive legislation.

Despite all of this and more, our objective has not yet been fulfilled. The Senate, “exhausted” from their year of hard work, has dropped the ball.  And while their “Spill Bill” cracks down on BP, it doesn’t let them off the hook for real action.  The Senate has abandoned carbon pricing, a vital element to solving climate change and moving us away from oil from hostile nations.

Remind your Senators that they are not off the hook.  They may be tired, but they will never be as weary as those brave men and women deployed around the world protecting our freedoms and our future.  Remind them that, so long as our troops stand in harm’s way, inaction is unacceptable.  We must not relent until the Senate delivers a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill – despite what big oil companies and their lobbyists say.

Thank you for fighting alongside us for the past year.  Your efforts have breathed new life into a decades-old struggle, and will not go to waste.  Victory postponed is not defeat; this fight is still ours to win.

Thank you  for all you have done, and will continue to do for this crucial issue,

The Operation Free Team:
Jonathan Murray
Dave Solimini
Laura Britton
Matt Oberhoffner
James Whitaker
Brendan Flynn
Mary Deering
Whitney Hank
Kouri Marshall
Andy Arens

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