The Climate Crisis
Democrats strongly believe in our responsibility to address the climate crisis head-on and to serve as stewards of our environment and public lands for current and future generations. Democrats are working with President Biden to restore protections for our environment and natural resources, promote cleaner air and water, and ensure America is a leader in confronting the climate crisis. During the 117th Congress, House Democrats delivered a historic slate of legislation to address the climate crisis. These include the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enacted in November 2021, a generational infrastructure package that is estimated to create nearly 1.5 million jobs annually throughout the next decade, turbocharge our clean energy economy, and take action on environmental justice and legacy pollution initiatives. The landmark Inflation Reduction Act is America’s single-largest investment in combatting the climate crisis and puts the U.S. on a path to roughly 40% emissions reduction by 2030. It includes historic investments in the clean energy economy that will lower energy costs, increase our energy security, and substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This legislation also promotes alternative energy and electric vehicle production. The CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, invests in science and technology of the future, bolstering efforts to manufacture clean energy technology in the United States and providing access to training programs that will help to develop the STEM workforce of tomorrow. House Democrats also passed a number of bills that act to protect and conserve our planet, including the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, the Water Resources Development Act, and the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act. In addition, House Democrats overturned a dangerous methane emissions rule put into place by the Trump Administration. We will continue to partner with the Biden Administration to combat catastrophic climate change and protect our natural resources for future generations.
Rising gasoline prices put a painful economic burden on American families and Congress must deploy every energy solution in its power, including, but not limited to, safe and responsible drilling for oil. Unfortunately, this week House Republicans passed two bills focused on drilling that will not have any significant impact on gas prices in the short term.
General Motors plans to kick off a hiring blitz today that will add or preserve about 4,200 jobs in eight states, including up to 2,000 in metro Detroit, people familiar with the planning said.
After four months, its clear Republicans don’t share the American people’s priorities by failing to focus on jobs and making the wrong choices on the deficit.
Today’s report on March employment levels brought encouraging news for our economy. Our economy added a net total of 244,000 jobs, while our private sector grew by 268,000 jobs. That number marks the 16th straight month of private-sector job growth under President Obama—as well as the strongest month for private-sector jobs since February 2006, before the Bush recession. Nevertheless, the unemployment rate increased by .2 percentage points to 9.0%; and while that increase represents more Americans entering the job market as the economy recovers, the fact remains that millions are still out of work, at a time when high gas prices are putting a strain on every American family.
All Americans are concerned about high gas prices and the growing cost they are imposing on our families. We should also be concerned that those high prices might stall our economic recovery.
Tomorrow, we mark Earth Day, a day to remember our responsibility to be good stewards of our environment for future generations. The environmental movement symbolized by Earth Day has led to cleaner water, cleaner air, and a healthier landscape for millions of Americans. And just as Earth Day has inspired us to confront pollution of our air and water, I hope it will also remind us of our responsibility to confront carbon pollution and global warming.
One year ago today, the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon Oil rig tragically took the lives of 11 people and touched off what would become the largest oil spill in our nation’s history. One year later, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with all of those whose livelihoods have been affected in the Gulf Coast. We also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that a tragedy of this magnitude never happens again and to holding those responsible fully accountable for their actions.
Rather than invest in new energy technology, address carbon pollution, and create clean energy jobs—a priority of the Democrats’ Make It In America agenda—Republicans are choosing instead to deny the problem and take away America’s tools for responding to it.
I applaud President Obama for announcing an ambitious goal of reducing oil imports by one-third by 2025. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is an economic imperative—and a national security imperative. The continuing unrest in the Middle East and the rise of gas prices is a wake-up call that we must become more energy independent. Democrats are committed to increasing energy independence and security; in fact, we enacted the first new fuel efficiency standards for cars in 32 years.
Today the House will consider a short term continuing resolution to fund the government for the next three weeks. Democrats continue to call on Republicans to cut and compromise on a measure that funds the government for the full year so that we prevent a shutdown and stop funding the government in week-by-week increments, which is inefficient and disruptive to the private and public sector.