Des Moines, IA - In advance of President Obama's planned visit, Americans for Prosperity - Iowa (AFP-IA) is urging the President to support proven energy policies, not more expensive, taxpayer-funded gimmicks like the wind energy tax credit.

"Iowans are tired of propping up politically favored industries while their gas prices soar and unemployment remains high," said Mark Lucas, State Director of AFP-IA. "Twenty years ago, the wind power industry told us they only needed taxpayer support for a little while to help get them off the ground. Twenty years later, we're still providing a $5 billion special tax subsidy each year for an industry that supplies just over 2% of our power."

AFP-IA supports ending all special tax preferences for energy producers and instead allowing the free market to determine which companies succeed.

"We don't need more Solyndras and Solar Trusts draining taxpayer resources in pursuit of ambiguous "green energy" goals. It's time for the President to pursue a real "all of the above" energy policy that lowers gas prices and creates jobs."

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual's right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. Americans for Prosperity does not support or oppose candidates for public office. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack recently introduced legislation that will target rural schools to ensure they have access to the latest digital learning technologies.  The Schools of the Future Act will provide grants to transform the typical classroom experience into one that is more student-centered and provides teachers with more accurate information and feedback on student progress so that they can better address the needs of struggling students. Loebsack is co-chair of the bipartisan Rural Education Caucus.

"Technology has the power to vastly expand the educational options available to students in rural areas, providing students with a cutting-edge 21st Century education regardless of geography," said Loebsack.  "Digital technology holds great potential for rural schools, which often have trouble recruiting and retaining teachers and offering a variety of electives or advanced coursework."

This legislation builds off of the work already being done in Iowa.  For example, the Iowa Department of Education is working with the University of Iowa to develop the Iowa Online Advance Placement Academy to deliver Advanced Placement courses to high school students across the state, particularly rural and small schools that may not have the capacity to provide these courses themselves, using online technology. The Iowa Department of Education also runs Iowa Learning Online (ILO), which allows students from across the state to enroll in any number of distance education courses, including high school credit classes and post-secondary courses available through Iowa community colleges and universities.

Specifically, the legislation Loebsack introduced will provide funding for schools to implement digital learning strategies such as:

·         providing expanded curriculum opportunities,

·         providing accelerated or advanced coursework, or

·         personalizing the learning experience by providing content that is tailored to an individual student's learning style, ability, and needs.

Submits statement to House Ways and Means Committee calling for action to avoid uncertainty

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling on the House Ways and Means Committee to include a renewal of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for renewable energy in upcoming tax legislation. As a cosponsor of the American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011, Loebsack has pushed to end the current uncertainty caused by the approaching expiration of the credit and bring attention to the wind energy industry in Iowa.  He has visited numerous wind industry facilities throughout Iowa that create good jobs in the state and promote economic development.

"The wind industry is creating thousands of jobs across the country, supporting the work of hundreds of wind?related manufacturing facilities, and offering lease payments to thousands of farmers," the Congressmen expressed to the Ways and Means Committee leadership. "The uncertainty caused by the looming expiration of the credit is already hampering future industry growth. Given our expanding but still fragile economy, now is not the time to undermine these substantial public and private investments."

Earlier this year, Loebsack wrote to House Speaker John Boehner calling for action on the renewal of the PTC for wind energy.  A copy of the statement Loebsack and a bipartisan group of his colleagues submitted to the Ways and Means Committee for the hearing today, is below.

April 26, 2012

The Honorable Pat Tiberi

Chairman

U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures

106 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Richard Neal

Ranking Member

U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures

2208 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Tiberi and Ranking Member Neal:

As you evaluate tax provisions that either expired in 2011 or will expire in 2012, we write to highlight our belief that extension of the production tax credit is firmly in the national interest and a vital component of America's future competitiveness and we urge its inclusion the next available piece of tax legislation.

The wind industry is creating thousands of jobs across the country, supporting the work of hundreds of wind?related manufacturing facilities, and offering lease payments to thousands of farmers and ranchers. Thirty?eight states have utility?scale wind projects, powering more than 12 million homes. Wind energy drives the diversification of our energy supply and strengthens our resilience to energy related challenges, while improving our national energy security. Additionally, the more than 40,000 megawatts of wind power installed through 2010 annually avoids 83.5 million tons of carbon pollution.

The production tax credit, which enjoys broad support across regions and across the political spectrum, has underwritten many of these developments. In fact, there is a strong correlation to industry growth and the existence of the credit. In years following expiration of the credit, for instance, installations dropped between 79?93%, resulting in major job losses and lost opportunities. The uncertainty caused by the looming expiration of the credit is already hampering future industry growth. Given our expanding but still fragile economy, now is not the time to undermine these substantial public and private investments.

Thank you for your careful consideration of this incentive.

Sincerely,

 Dave Loebsack

Signed Recent Letter Critical of NASA's 'Advocacy of an Extreme Position' on Climate Science

Two Apollo-era astronauts and two prominent former NASA scientists will speak at The Heartland Institute's Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC-7), taking place in Chicago on May 21-23. The four men were among 49 signatories to a March 28 letter to NASA and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) urging the agencies to cease their "unbridled advocacy" of anthropogenic global warming. (Read the letter here.)

Dr. Harrison Schmitt, the first scientist and last man to walk on the moon in the Apollo 17 mission, and Apollo 7 lunar module pilot Walter Cunningham will talk about how NASA's "unproven and unsupported remarks" on global warming damage the agency's reputation.

The astronauts will be joined in the discussion by Harold Doiron, who worked for decades on vehicle stability and design at NASA, and Thomas Wysmuller, a meteorologist for the Royal Dutch Weather Bureau in Amsterdam and a long-time employee and consultant for NASA.

Register to attend the conference at this link.

Other confirmed speakers at ICCC-7 include :

Vaclav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic
Alan Carlin, U.S. EPA (retired)
Robert "Bob" Carter, James Cook University (Queensland, Australia)
Roger Helmer, MP, Britain
William "Bill" Gray, Colorado State University (emeritus)
Kenneth Haapala, Science and Environmental Policy Project
Tom Harris, International Climate Science Coalition
S. Fred Singer, University of Virginia (emeritus)
Willie Soon, astrophysicist
Leighton Steward, PlantsNeedCO2.org and CO2IsGreen.org
Brian Sussman, author, Climategate and Eco-Tyranny

Heartland will be joined by dozens of think tank cosponsors and hundreds of scientists who understand the need for a real debate about the causes, consequences, and policy implications of climate change. (See previous press release announcing the event here.)

What: Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC-7)

Theme: Real Science, Real Choices

Where: Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL

When: Monday, May 21 - Wednesday, May 23, 2012, immediately following the NATO Summit also taking place in Chicago, on May 19-21.

Media: Open to all media. Request press credentials here.

The conference will feature several keynote speeches and some 30 panel discussions, each featuring a moderator and two experts debating a particular issue or aspect of the climate change debate. Check out the ICCC-7 page often for regular updates on the conference.

Attendance Information

ICCC-7 is open to the public. Registration is required. More information is available at the conference Web site.

For more information about The Heartland Institute, visit our Web site or contact Jim Lakely at jlakely@heartland.org or 312/377-4000.

Get Twitter updates of the conference by following @HeartlandInst and the hashtag #ICCC7.

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