Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) delivered the following remarks today on the House floor during debate of H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, which would prevent President Trump from withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. H.R. 9 was favorably reported out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on April 4, 2019 by a vote of 29-19.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act.
President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement is unjustified and dangerous. It abdicates U.S. leadership on climate action and puts the health and safety of our communities at great risk. It also jeopardizes our national and economic security.
We can’t live in the past. China, the EU and others are moving towards a low-carbon economy, building solar panels, wind turbines and cornering the market on renewable industries. We can and should be a leader in that transition so that our industries, our workers and our communities benefit from the new opportunities created.
The United States has always been at the forefront in the creation of new technologies and new jobs, but rather than leading right now, President Trump and his Administration are simply sticking their heads in the sand, acting as if this is the 19th Century. We have to be future-oriented - not live in the past - or we will be left behind.
The President is actually making the climate crisis worse. The Trump Administration gutted regulations to control methane pollution from the oil and gas sector, rolled back stronger fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, and illegally blocked improved appliance efficiency standards. These actions led to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions last year.
Back in my district, this isn’t a partisan issue: everyone sees the harm climate change is doing to our shoreline, our oceans and the health and well-being of our residents. State and local governments are taking action on climate change. They are concerned about the health of their constituents, asthmatics who are negatively impacted by polluted air, and cancers that are aggravated by increased toxicity. I know a lot of Republican mayors and state elected officials, but I don’t know one of them who thinks the federal government should withdraw from climate action.
The costs of inaction are painful. We’ve all seen them. In 2017, the United States experienced 16 natural disasters with costs totaling $360 billion. Superstorm Sandy hit my district hard. We still have time to avoid a deeper climate crisis, while strengthening and modernizing our economy at the same time.
H.R. 9 is a first, important step. Please - I call on my colleagues - let’s take it. Let’s take this opportunity to prevent our withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and at the same time, call upon this Administration to come up with ways to achieve our commitments under that Agreement.
I reserve the balance of my time.
