Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this important issue. He has brought his experience in the private sector, and the nonprofit sector to Congress to effectively address the climate crisis that we are facing.

Madam Speaker, I join the distinguished ranking member of the committee in supporting this en bloc, and remind him that in 2018 we did have the fire budget act that readjusted--enabling us to spend money for fire prevention, and that was bipartisan.

I welcome your support for the en blocs and work to address this. The description that you make of the fire impacts on the communities is a very, very serious one. We see it in California, but we have seen it a few years ago and before. Unless you have seen it, you cannot really realize how destructive it is. It just obliterates the area.

And then the smoke from those fires, as we say, the smoke from those fires is not stronger than the love that we have for each other to come back from all of this. But this legislation and these amendments will be helpful, and I thank the gentleman for his strong leadership on this.

The threat of wildfires in our communities and the ability to create clean energy jobs and innovation is an opportunity that we have here today.

Across the country, extreme weather and climate events are being unleashed on our communities leaving tragedy and devastation in their wake. From wildfires in the West--which the distinguished ranking member referenced and that we have experienced--that are described as apocalyptic, which have killed at least 35 people, blanketed the entire country in haze, and burned an historic 3.7 million acres, more than 20 times the amount last year.

Horrific hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, some of the most severe to hit the southern States. I spoke to the Governor of Louisiana, he told me that the hurricane that hit Louisiana was the most severe in the history of Louisiana. I said, Even more so than Katrina? He said, Yes. Katrina's damage sprang from the hurricane, but also the levees collapsing. This is about the severity of the hurricane. And then frequency, they have had more hurricanes since then. They are running out of names to label them. They said they may have to go to the Greek alphabet.

Heat waves across America, with this summer being the hottest ever summer recorded in the northern hemisphere, and the second hottest summer around the planet. Scientists tell us that 2020, a year filled with climate disasters, will be among the two hottest years ever recorded.

Madam Speaker, Mother Nature is sending us a message, a clear sign that the climate crisis is real, it is deadly, and it is accelerating.

The American people elected a Democratic House majority that would honor the science and honor our obligation to build a more resilient, green, and sustainable economy, not only for future generations tomorrow, but for our children today.

I am proud of the work that Democrats have taken since day one to combat the climate crisis in a way that creates jobs and advances environmental justice. This has been an all-caucus effort reflecting the energy of our freshmen, the expertise of our chairs, and the will of the American people, including: The Climate Action Now Act, keeping us in the Paris accords; the Moving Forward Act, making a strong downpayment in a clean energy future; the Great American Outdoors Act, the most significant conservation bill in a generation, strongly bipartisan; Solving the Climate Crisis, our congressional action plan led by Chairwoman Kathy Castor, the most detailed, sweeping climate plan in American history, which endorses a national goal with net-zero pollution as soon as possible, 2050 at the latest. This plan protects American workers, safeguards vulnerable communities, grows the economy, and advances our preeminence in green technologies.

Now, today, we are taking the next step with the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. And, Madam Speaker, I say the next step. This is not exhaustive of our solutions, and we have a lot of ideas in our caucus to debate and to prioritize, but this is an important next step.

I salute all the committees of jurisdiction and chairs for their strategic, science-based leadership on the bills in this package. Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone; Science, Space, and Technology Chairwoman, Eddie Bernice Johnson; Natural Resources Chairman Raul Grijalva, along with Congressmen McEachin and Ruiz, for their collaborative efforts to include a transformative environmental justice title; Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Kathy Castor; Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, chairwoman on the Subcommittee of Health in Energy and Commerce, leading the legislation to study the direct connection of wildfire smoke on public health, as you suggested. And also, Members from the West for offering amendments, including the ones under consideration now, to improve wildfire research, resilience, and protect homes, communities, and public health.

Again, I salute Congressman Mike Levin for his leadership in this very important area. His election to Congress took us way down the path in this fight to preserve the planet. Thank you, Mr. Levin.

The legislation advances public health, financial, and national security, and environmental justice. It takes actions that scientists, researchers, and experts tell us is needed:

By launching the research and development needed to unleash a clean energy revolution and reduce pollution in our communities; making a bold downpayment for future climate action by modernizing America's energy innovation infrastructure; phasing down dangerous HFCs, known as super pollutants, which many experts believe is the single biggest action that the world can take to reduce global warming; putting our country on the path to net-zero pollution no later than 2050; and, critically protecting local communities by requiring Federal agencies to better understand the impact of new projects on public health and the environment, and to provide meaningful participation for indigenous and environmental communities. This is so absolutely important to have our Indian Country involved in these decisions.

As the League of Conservation Voters wrote today: ``This bill includes many great provisions to develop and deploy renewable and distributed energy resources; improve the efficiency of our homes, schools, and businesses; electrify our transportation sector; modernize the grid and enhance its resilience; prioritize the needs of environmental justice in communities; reduce climate pollution from industrial and traditional sources, and from ambient air.''

Then they go on to say: ``Though we do not support increased funding for projects that could extend the life of fossil fuel-burning power plants or aging nuclear power infrastructure or prop up undemonstrated new nuclear projects, many of the amendments would improve those areas and build upon the significant positive environmental aspects of the bill.'' This is very important, ``build upon the significant positive environmental aspects of the bill.''

``We urge support for the amendments . . . that will make the bill even stronger by protecting our communities and environment while investing in clean energy research, development, and deployment.''

This important legislation is an important step--I keep saying it is not everything; it is a step--to advance climate action. But much more is needed.

Unfortunately, many in our government continue to deny the science and refuse to act. As seen earlier this month, when I hosted the G7 Speakers' Meeting on ``Addressing the Climate Crisis With Economic and Environmental Justice for All,'' no other country in that mix of the G7 and the President of the European Union, who was also participating, no other country is in denial about the climate crisis and the impact that human activity has on it.

Sadly, only in America is there contempt for science, public health, and the role of government.

Madam Speaker, when I first became Speaker in 2007, the first bill we put on the floor was to establish a Select Committee on Climate and Energy. We passed that bill working with President Bush. It was the biggest energy bill in the history of our country. It was the equivalent of taking millions of cars off the road. We came to terms with an agreement, and he was delighted to have a signing ceremony for this bill.

Since then, there has been denial about the climate crisis. After becoming Speaker again in this Congress, I established a Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, which Kathy Castor chairs.

So this has been a very high priority. It is a high priority for public health, clean air, clean water, ending the pollutants, diminishing the pollutants.

Secondly, it is a jobs issue. Jobs, jobs, jobs, clean energy jobs making us preeminent in the world.

It is a national security issue. Our security experts tell us that drought and famine, so much is caused by the climate crisis. Increased competition for habitat, resources, and the rest cause mass migrations. It is a national security issue.

It is a moral issue. If you believe, as I do, that this planet is God's creation, we have a moral responsibility to be good stewards of it. This is believed by many in the evangelical community. But even if you don't share this belief from a religious standpoint, from a moral standpoint, we have a responsibility to pass the planet on to future generations as best we can.

Again, the American people, including young people, scientists, faith leaders, grassroots environmental justice advocates, are demanding climate action now to protect their lives and protect their livelihoods.

I urge Members, including the Republicans whose bills are included in this package, to listen to the public and pass this commonsense and science-based legislation and redouble our efforts to combat the climate crisis.

Heed the message that Mother Earth is sending us. Lives are at stake. We have no time to waste. I urge an ``aye'' vote on these en bloc amendments and on final passage of the legislation.

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