John –

It’s fair to say Vladimir Putin underestimated the Ukrainian people and the resolve of other nations to denounce Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

But it’s also fair to say that the rest of the world was caught off guard by Russia’s aggression. Just look at the worldwide dependence on Russian oil and natural gas.

Last week, Hank joined 412 of his House colleagues and all 100 U.S. Senators in voting to ban oil and gas imports from Russia. We have to use every economic tool at our disposal to stop Russia’s war machine from being able to further devastate Ukraine and threaten other neighbors. Make no mistake – banning Russian oil imports is the right thing to do. But it comes at an economic cost.

Speculation, uncertainty, the sanctions against Russia, and a frustratingly opaque oil market all mean that gas prices are rising, and American consumers are paying a price for Russia’s unnecessary war of choice.

Help Hank push for sustainable forms of energy to take power away from dictators like Putin while securing a sustainable future >>

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

$5	$10
$15	$25
$50	Other

Republicans would have you believe that we should “drill, baby, drill.” But we’ve faced high gas prices before. Every time, the GOP’s only solution is to further our dependence on fossil fuels and make American consumers even more vulnerable during the next oil crisis. We don’t know for certain what more drilling would do to short-term gas prices. All we know for sure is that Republicans’ so-called ‘solution’ will invariably lead to even more economic pain.

The responsible thing to do is to take this opportunity and look at the larger problem – not just our dependency on Russian oil, but our dependency on ANY and ALL fossil fuels. We have a serious addiction, and it’s time for an intervention.

Just a few days ago, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a dire warning: The time is now or never to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. We’re not going to wade into the drama at this year’s Oscars, except to say that in the very specific case of climate dangers, the entire world could use a Will-Smithing to jolt us out of our complacency.

So, what to do? Glad you asked.

We must replace fossil fuels with sustainable forms of energy. Hank is committed to supporting renewable energy. America should be the world’s leader in the production of sustainable energy, and that can start right here in Georgia.
We need to prioritize transit and efficient mass transportation. Hank has been fighting to bring rapid transit and rail to the I-20 corridor, pushing the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to revolutionize transit across the state and become a model for the country. This would relieve the pressure people feel to drive, as better, faster, and more fuel-efficient transportation options become available.
We have to stand against the Republicans’ tired and incoherent talking point that the solution to our oil dependency is more oil. That hair-of-the-dog position is the definition of shortsightedness, and Hank isn’t afraid to call them out on it.
We can support leaders like Hank who are committed to building a sustainable future and standing against tyrants like Putin by removing their economic power over us.

John – if you agree that the solution is to decrease our dependency on fossil fuels (not to increase it, as Republicans advocate), will you make a contribution and help Hank fight to protect our future?

STAND WITH HANK

– Hank HQ