Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today in response to President Biden’s Executive Orders prioritizing the climate crisis at the national level, spurring the creation of new good-paying jobs, securing environmental justice, and rebalancing the energy sector in favor of clean energy:
“After four years of obstinate, reckless climate denial, today’s executive actions are a breath of fresh air. Together, President Biden’s orders will elevate the climate crisis to the economic and national security concern that it is, enlisting the power of the whole federal government in the fight.
“It is a relief to finally have a president who sees this moment not only as a challenge, but as the opportunity that it is. It is an opportunity to empower our workers with new, good paying jobs that can’t be shipped overseas; to prioritize the needs and the voices of our environmental justice communities; to revitalize our energy communities with the support they need to rebuild from this pandemic; and to return our economy to a position of strength after a long, dark year of historic job losses and pain. I’m proud to stand with the president in this effort, and join him in saying: now is our time to act. We will not stand idly by as the rest of the world transitions to clean energy and our workers get left behind, and we will not watch from the sidelines as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on Americans’ health and homes.
“President Biden would be the first to admit these actions are just the starting point, and Congress will need to play a critical role if we are to truly tackle this crisis head-on. To that end, I look forward to holding a hearing next month to learn more precisely where legislative action is needed to round out these orders and set the country on the path to a 100 percent clean, carbon neutral future."
