As you and I have discussed, Republicans are ready and willing to work with you on policies to continue America’s leadership role in developing innovative technologies to produce energy with little or no emissions. Republicans are ready and willing to work with you on conservation, innovation, adaptation and preparation policies that help the environment and don’t harm consumers.
We have a clear record of bipartisan legislation from this committee to do just that. Republicans have worked with Democrats over the past several congresses to remove regulatory barriers to new technological advances in power generation, from hydroelectric power to small modular nuclear, from carbon capture and storage incentives to power grid reforms. Because innovation is where the long-term solutions to climate change are. We want America to lead the world in innovation, as we always have, especially on clean energy and environmental cleanup.
I realize that today’s hearing is more about the politics of climate change than rolling up our sleeves and getting to work on domestic solutions. I can’t recall a time in my more than 18 years on this committee where we’ve cleared the decks for a presidential candidate to come take center stage.
Now, I want join those in welcoming Governor Inslee back to the Energy and Commerce Committee. As an advocate for the Green New Deal, I’m sure he would agree with me that it’s time we had a hearing on this legislation.
Both of my Senators have signed on to the Senate version, and I know one of the biggest proponents, the new Congresswoman from New York said it was unfair for the Senate to vote on the Green New Deal without first having had a hearing. We should take note of her comments and schedule such a hearing.
Meanwhile, as I noted a few weeks ago, the focus on U.S. commitments in the Paris Agreement distracts from the work we could get done together. Certainly, many states and cities around the U.S. have made commitments to meet the Paris goals. But these commitments don’t necessarily work nationally. However, I do believe this hearing will be useful to review some of the actions states and cities are taking to adapt and become more resilient to a changing climate.
In the Northwest, we’ve benefited from clean hydropower, wind, geothermal and solar power. And while our energy emissions are better than most, we’ve suffered greatly from the lack of management of our federal forest lands, which are burning up every summer, choking our citizens and polluting our atmosphere. I know when Governor Inslee was in the House he opposed most of my efforts to get our forests back in balance and reduce the threat of wildfires. Even the UN’s climate change panel calls for active forest management, so hopefully his views have changed on these matters in the intervening years.
After this hearing is behind us, let’s work together, as we have in the past, to reduce the barriers to innovation and unleash the best and brightest among our citizens to develop new technologies to help confront the climate challenges of the future.
I think we’re up to the task, Mr. Chairman.
