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Energy and Environment

We live in a time of unprecedented threat to our environment. From pollution to habitat degradation to the global crisis of man-made climate change, the evidence all around us is clear that we must act to protect our planet and everything living on it.

I have been a proud member of the Sierra Club since I was 16 years old and my passion for the environment is one of the primary reasons I first got into public service. Today, I serve as Co-Chair of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, a group of more than 87 members of the House of Representatives committed to combating climate change and ensuring a robust, resilient, low-carbon economy for generations to come.

I believe that climate change represents an existential threat to the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans and billions around the world and that Congress must act with the urgency and ambition that climate science demands. For these reasons, I was an original cosponsor of the Green New Deal, a bold and aspirational proposal to transition our economy away from reliance on fossil fuels. 

In 2022, President Biden unveiled a once-in-a-generation plan for the nation’s largest investment in our share of the climate fight. The Inflation Reduction Act lowers energy costs and delivers largest-ever climate action. Specifically, it invests in domestic energy production and manufacturing, while reducing carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030 with historic investments in energy security and tackling the climate crisis.

I have also previously introduced legislation to ease our clean energy transition and power our clean energy future. The Streamlining Interstate Transmission of Electricity (SITE) Act, will ensure that investments made through the Inflation Reduction Act meet their full potential, while also creating a more robust interconnected electricity grid. 

I have consistently supported legislation that aims to protect our planet, a fact that is reflected by my 98% lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters. In particular, I have been proud to champion measures that prevent mining and fossil fuel exploration and drilling on our nation’s public lands and to author the Botanical Sciences and Native Plant Materials Research, Restoration, and Promotion Act, which will help increase the botanical capacity of the federal government and ensure that America’s unique and incredible ecosystems remain intact. I have also organized visits to more than 7 National Parks with my Congressional colleagues to witness firsthand the impacts of climate change on America’s most pristine landscapes and meet with the incredible National Park Service staff on the front lines of this challenge. 

Since 2017, I have introduced legislation to end plastic pollution in our National Parks. The Reducing Waste in National Parks Act would restore Obama-era guidance banning the sale of single-use plastic water bottles in national park facilities, where possible. We must do everything in our power to be good stewards of our national treasures so that generations to come can enjoy the majesty of America’s public lands just as we have.

I understand that we cannot solve the climate crisis without realizing how interconnected its impacts truly are. Today, the results of climate change can already be seen across the world’s plant and animal populations. During my time in Congress, I’ve also been proud to support wildlife through my support for the Endangered Species Act, which for over forty years has helped prevent the extinction of our nation’s unique wildlife.

I also understand that we can’t do it alone. I will continue working with my colleagues to address the realities of climate change and dedicate my time in Congress to supporting legislation that protects our communities and develops strategies to combat the many threats facing our environment.