Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4521, The America Competes Act of 2022. This legislation is the largest investment in our nation's manufacturing industries and reaffirms our reputation as a global leader across multiple industries. I am delighted to have two of my bills, H.R. 2774--the Green Climate Fund Authorization Act and H.R. 3036--the Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act (SEERA), included as part of this historic American-made legislative package to support and secure our technologies, research, and development at home and strengthen our collaboration on projects abroad.

Communities of color, indigenous people, and low-income households in the United States and across the world are disproportionately impacted by climate change and often live near sources of pollution. It is our moral obligation to uplift these frontline communities. To effectively combat climate change, we must reaffirm our nation's commitment to work with other countries to advance environmental justice. The Green Climate Fund, established within the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, achieves this by helping economically developing countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

During the prior Presidential administration, our nation did not fulfill the pledge we made on the world stage to provide funding to the Green Climate Fund. As an indispensable player in financing global endeavors that achieve the Paris Agreement, we must remedy this and continue to promote environmental justice.

The Green Climate Fund strengthens the economies of neighboring countries while also benefitting our nation's economy as we tackle climate change. The Tenth Report released by the Green Climate Fund, noted that 190 projects advancing climate justice around the world had been approved. These projects are helping 127 countries, including 31 in Latin America and the Caribbean. They are expected to reduce a total of 1.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions and reach 197 million direct and 399 million indirect beneficiaries. The Green Climate Fund benefits the American economy because it helps deploy financial flows from the private sector to investment opportunities that promote sustainable development.

The United Nations Children's Fund reported last year that about one billion children are at an extremely high risk of enduring the impacts of the climate crisis. Climate change threatens their nutrition, health, education, and development. We must increase funding for the Green Climate Fund because future generations of children are counting on us to act so that they can live in a secure world.

SEERA also combats climate change by addressing electronic waste (e- waste) management in the United States. It enhances our national security, advances environmental justice, and bolsters our economy by stopping the flow of e-waste to China and requiring domestic recycling of all untested and nonworking electronics, which promotes the creation of thousands of new jobs in the United States.

I urge my colleagues to support The America Competes Act of 2022.

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