Climate Action Now Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Chairman, I rise today as a proud original cosponsor of H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, which preserves our Nation's commitment to the Paris Agreement and keeps our promise to the American people to take meaningful action on climate change.

The Paris Agreement paved the way for our Nation to develop a robust plan for cutting emissions which both threaten public health and contribute to global climate change. Part of this plan was to clean up the transportation sector, now the largest single source of emissions in the country.

My home State of California was critical in the effort to establish more stringent vehicle emissions standards. When the administration irresponsibly chose to abandon part of this plan by rolling back Obama- era vehicle emissions standards, I introduced legislation that would protect these standards and the benefits that they ultimately bring to our communities.

I am pleased to see so many of my congressional colleagues join me in proposing meaningful solutions to combat climate change, but we must do more. We must act together as a nation to lead the way.

Our Nation cannot afford to cede its international leadership. By not participating in the Paris Agreement, we risk irreversible damage to our planet and endanger the American people.

I think about my grandchildren, Anna and Robby. It is their future I am thinking about. They will be greatly impacted if we don't do something now.

Tackling climate change is and always has been my top priority. We must act now to mitigate the effects of climate change before it is too late. I have spent the last decade helping lead on this effort, and I am immensely pleased to be able to support the Climate Action Now Act on the floor today.

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