Sestak says energy bill will spur jobs

Sestak cites a report by a Congressional committee to back up his claim. But the debate over the Energy bill is a debate over numbers.

Congressman Joe Sestak says the energy bill passed by the House of Representatives this year will create jobs for Pennsylvanians.

Sestak cites a report by a Congressional committee to back up his claim. But the debate over the Energy bill is a debate over numbers.

Sestak says a new fact sheet released by the Committee on Energy and Commerce shows the bill creating between 46,000 and 78,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.

“So often I hear well this is gonna cause us to lose jobs, well wait a moment who did that study? And when you walk your way through the facts this is something that actually improves quality of life and the number of jobs.”

One portion of the bill is known as “cap and trade.” That means energy companies will have to pay a tax if they excede a certain level of carbon emissions. But those who do better than the standard, can actually sell their credits to other companies.

Sestak’s Republican opponent Pat Toomey opposes the bill. A spokesman for Toomey cites other studies that show the proposal could kill jobs and increase utility bills for consumers.

The legislation would likely come to a vote once Toomey or Sestak joins the Senate.