By Cat Lazaroff

WASHINGTON, DC, May 23, 2002 (ENS) - Democrats and conservation groups celebrated Senator Jim Jeffords this week, one year after his desertion of the Republican party handed control of the Senate to the Democrats.

Jeffords, formerly a Vermont Republican, became an Independent on May 24, 2001. Because Jeffords opted to vote with the Democratic caucus, the Democrats gained a voting majority in the Senate, along with control over committee and subcommittee chairs.

Senator Jim Jeffords speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill. (Photo courtesy Office of the Senator)

As a reward for his switch, the Democrats named Jeffords as chair of the Senate's primary environmental committee.

"As chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Jeffords has been a great defender of the environment, fighting against the Administration's efforts to roll back protections," said Senator Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, in a floor statement honoring Jeffords on Monday.

Senator Harry Reid (Photo courtesy Office of the Senator)

The Sierra Club, one of the nation's oldest environmental groups, thanked Jeffords this week for "being a champion for the environment, regardless of what party label he wears."

"For years, he has fought ardently for clean air and water, battling against polluters, standing up to defend America's beautiful landscapes, and staring down those who put profits ahead of our families' health," the Sierra Club wrote in a press statement.

The group cited Jeffords' sponsorship of the Clean Power Act, a bill that would require cuts in power plant emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury and carbon dioxide, a global warming gas. Jeffords wrote the bill along with Senator Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut Democrat and former vice presidential candidate.

The bill would cut smog and soot forming nitrogen oxides by 75 percent from 1997 levels. Acid rain and soot forming sulfur dioxide would be cut by 75 percent below Phase II of the Clean Air Act's Acid Rain Program requirements.

Toxic mercury emissions would be cut by 90 percent from 1999 levels, and global warming carbon dioxide emissions would return to 1990 levels. In addition, the bill would require every power plant to clean up to the same level required for new power plants by the facility's 30th birthday or five years after enactment of the Act, whichever is later.

The Clean Power Act would cut air polluting emissions from coal fired power plants, which provide more than half of America's electricity supply. (Photo courtesy National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Today, the entire Senate Democratic caucus took to the Capitol steps to applaud Jefford's decision and commerate its effects, and to highlight the differences between the Republican and Democratic positions on a number of issues. On Friday, the anniversary of Jefford's switch, Senate Democrats will hold a rally to criticize the Bush administration's environmental policies.

Senate Democrats are also using this anniversary to tout their own accomplishments over the past year. A fact sheet released by the Democratic Caucus notes an August 2001 Senate vote to require the Bush administration to put new, stricter arsenic standards for drinking water into immediate effect. President Bush signed that measure in November.

The Senate also voted in July to protect national monuments from drilling, a bill which became law in November. In December, the Senate passed the Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001, which provides assistance to communities working to clean up abandoned industrial sites. The President signed the bill on January 11.

Other environmental Senate bills passed under Democratic leadership include the African Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2001 and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2001, both of which were signed into law in January.

The American Wildlife Enhancement Act of 2001 and the National Discovery Trails Act of 2001 have both been passed by the Senate and are now being considered by the House.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (Photo courtesy Office of the Senator)

"Right after he made that speech, we spoke on the phone," Daschle recalled. "I congratulated him on his speech. He replied: "I hope now we can make a difference'."

In a plea to voters to let Democrats retain Senate control - and perhaps gain seats in the House - Daschle noted that there is still work to be done.

"Republicans and the Administration have announced plans to rewrite the Clean Water Act to allow more pollutants into our water," Daschle warned. "On the Clean Air Act, the Administration has delayed a requirement to reduce toxic emissions from a variety of industrial sources. Democrats will enforce and strengthen America's clean air and clean water laws, and see that polluters - and not taxpayers - pay when our environment is damaged."

Today, Jeffords said if given the chance, he would make the same decision today.

Jeffords, left, enjoys a hike in Vermont (Photo courtesy Office of the Senator)

"The Senate has prevented devastating proposals, such as cutting of enforcement of environmental protection laws," Jeffords added, noting that environmental issues such as global warming and energy policy will require balanced leadership in the future.

"The course of this year has shown me the power one voice can have," Jeffords noted, "but the beauty of our democracy is that all of us have this power. We all have the ability to make a difference."