Contacts: Jim DiPeso, (253) 740-2066; David Jenkins, (703) 785-9570

Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP), a national conservation organization with a grassroots membership that also includes many elected Republican officeholders, announces its endorsement of Senator John McCain for President of the United States.

"Senator McCain is the only Republican candidate in 2008 who understands the deep connection between true conservative values and good environmental stewardship. He is the candidate best suited, by knowledge, experience, and conviction, to provide the strong environmental leadership that our country needs," said REP President Martha Marks.

"Senator McCain is also the only candidate in the field -- Republican or Democrat -- who fully comprehends the energy challenges facing our nation. This gets far too little attention in the media. He recognizes the complex role that energy plays in our national security, our economic security, and in the health of our environment," Marks added.

REP points to Senator McCain's April 23 speech on energy as the policy vision needed to secure America's future.

As a result of his outstanding record on climate change, Senator McCain has shown that, from day one, he will fulfill the American tradition of strong environmental leadership.

"Like Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and other great GOP presidents, John McCain will live up to America's reputation as a land of visionaries and problem-solvers who are not afraid to take on big environmental challenges," REP Policy Director Jim DiPeso said.

"Energy security and climate change are clearly among the biggest challenges facing America today. As president, John McCain will not shrink from responsibility. He will lead the way forward to a balanced energy and climate plan that will strengthen our defenses, encourage entrepreneurship, grow the economy, improve our quality of life, and take responsibility for leaving a better world for our descendants," REP Government Affairs Director David Jenkins said.

"Senator McCain knows that addressing climate change is a conservative issue that involves maintaining our security, protecting life, and leaving a better future for our grandchildren. He also knows that this stewardship challenge is far too important to leave in the hands of liberals," Jenkins added.

John McCain is the right leader at the right time. He is a real conservative, the only GOP candidate who is true to the ideas and values of great conservative minds such as Edmund Burke and Russell Kirk. It was Kirk who pointed out that, "Nothing is more conservative than conservation."

"We enthusiastically endorse Senator McCain and urge our fellow Republicans to make him our party's nominee for president of the United States," Marks said.

My name is Martha Marks, and I am the president of Republicans for Environmental Protection. We call it REP for short. REP is a national grassroots organization that has been working for the last dozen years to restore the Republican Party’s great conservation tradition.

Republicans for Environmental Protection’s trademarked slogan is “conservation is conservative,” but we weren’t the first to make that argument. Russell Kirk, one of America’s greatest conservative thinkers, said in 1970: “Nothing is more conservative than conservation.”

Early in 2000, I was pleased to stand beside Senator John McCain and announce that REP was endorsing him for president. Now, almost eight years later, I am very glad to have the opportunity to do the same once again.

Senator McCain is the only GOP candidate in this year’s race who shows he understands the connection between conservative values and environmental stewardship. In REP’s opinion, he is the candidate best suited—by knowledge, experience, and conviction—to provide the strong environmental leadership that our country needs.

Senator McCain is also the only GOP candidate who fully comprehends the energy challenges facing our nation. As he said at a debate last week in Michigan, he recognizes the complex role that energy plays in our national security, our economic security, and the health of our environment.

Furthermore, in recent years Senator McCain has become an outstanding leader on the top environmental issue of our time: climate change.

• He has held hearings as a committee chairman.
• He has taken his colleagues to the ends of the earth, literally, to show them the impacts of climate change and convince them that the problem is real.
• He has reached across the aisle to craft balanced, market-oriented legislation that will stimulate American ingenuity to solve the problem, keep costs down, and maximize benefits.
• Senator McCain knows that reducing carbon pollution will improve our security, create jobs in profitable new industries, help farmers, and clean up the air in our cities.

However, it is truly conservative to take personal responsibility for our actions. It is truly conservative to protect our nation from the dangerous risks of more extreme weather, water shortages, and coastal flooding. It is truly conservative to look out for the well being of future generations.

Unfortunately, in today’s political world, for a conservative Republican to take bold positions on such issues as climate change and natural resource stewardship is also truly courageous.

One hundred years ago, another courageous conservative Republican occupied the White House. Theodore Roosevelt once said that conservation is a great moral issue, for it involves the patriotic duty of ensuring the safety and continuance of our nation.

We live in a different world today, but our stewardship challenges are just as great. We need a conservative Republican president who believes, as TR believed, that good stewardship can keep America strong and prosperous into the next century and beyond.

For all these reasons, Republicans for Environmental Protection proudly endorses Senator John McCain for President of the United States. We will work hard to help ensure his nomination and ultimate election.

Thank you… and please visit Republicans for Environmental Protection on the web at www.rep.org.