Senator Mike Gravel (D)

The LCV Scorecard provides objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered and the corresponding voting records of all members of Congress. It represents a consensus of experts from more than 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who selected the key votes on which members should be graded. To view the 2006 scorecard, please click here.

The lifetime LCV score represents the career average for all years served in office. For more about the Environmental Voting Record click here.

Environmental Overview

What accomplishments or experiences would you cite as influences on your approach to environmental or conservation issues? These may be professional or personal.

"Living both in America’s big cities like New York and living in Alaska. I led the movement to limit nuclear power generation, forced a halt to Cannikin nuclear testing in the seabed of Alaska which cost the lives of many workers and continues to this day to threaten the food chain of the North Pacific. Co-author and co-sponsor of all vital environmental legislation during the decade of the 70’s."

Global Warming & Energy priorities for first 100 days

As you know, a common rubric for measuring the results of a new presidential administration is to evaluate priorities for its first 100 days in office. The League of Conservation Voters believes that the one issue area voters will be most focused on, when it comes to the environment, is energy and global warming. If you are sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, what will be your priorities in the energy and global warming arena for your first 100 days in office, and why? These may be achievable by executive action, legislative action, international action, or appointments.

"Work to enact a plan that recognizes the relationship of energy production to environmental degradation and permits the U.S. to form and lead a global scientific coalition to develop strategies to overcome, within a decade, our dependency on carbon energy (coal, oil, etc.)."

Please respond to the previous question but focus on environmental issues outside of the energy and global warming arena.

"Continue to work as I successfully did when I was in the Senate to limit nuclear power generation in the U.S. until nuclear waste and safety problems are effectively addressed. Continue to insure, as I successfully did when I was in the Senate, that there is no testing of nuclear weapons by the United States."

Priority compared to other issues for first 100 days

Many candidates for office, not just for president, intend or promise to do great things on many issues. How would you say environmental or conservation issues would rank as a priority for you in your first 100 days when compared to other issues? Why? Do you intend to personally attend to these issues?

"Protecting the environment is a continual and perpetual responsibility and cannot be ranked with other issues. Unlike other issues it has no beginning and has no end and must have the constant vigilant attention of those entrusted with its protection."