Maryland Environmental Groups Present Earth Day Award to Congressman Van Hollen

Press Release

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen received an award from Citizen's Climate Lobby of Silver Spring and Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis for his work in Congress to protect the environment and combat climate change. Congressman Van Hollen has introduced the Healthy Climate and Family Security Act, an innovative plan to combat climate change while supporting a thriving middle class, and he is a stalwart advocate in Congress for policies that promote clean air and the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.

Congressman Van Hollen said, "It is an honor to be recognized on Earth Day by Marylanders who are dedicating their lives to combating climate change. Protecting the earth is an economic, national security, environmental, and moral battle, one that the United States has a duty to wage. We also have much to gain by leading the charge, which is why I've focused on policies that not only protect the environment but also create more prosperity for all Americans in the process. I stand with Marylanders who demand clean air for their children to breathe, clean water to drink and to protect our national treasure, the Chesapeake Bay, and clean energy to protect our climate and power our economy."

Aimee Schmidt, co-chair of the Silver Spring chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby, said, "There are free-market solutions to climate change, and Citizens' Climate Lobby gratefully acknowledges Representative Chris Van Hollen for proposing such a solution with the Healthy Climate and Family Security Act of 2015. This cap and dividend bill auctions carbon pollution permits to the first sellers of oil, coal, and natural gas and returns auction revenue to the American people. We applaud the revenue neutrality of this bill and the decision to return proceeds as a dividend to households. The structure of the cap in this 28-page bill appears both elegant and effective. As Congress considers energy legislation, measures to reduce carbon emissions should be part of the plan."

Will Candler with the Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis said, "Climate change should be no more a partisan issue than gravity -- it works the same for all people. In Congressman Van Hollen's legislation, any revenue raised is returned equally to all citizens and ultimately the market is put in charge -- it is a common sense way to limit the use of fossil fuels that has bipartisan appeal. Chris Van Hollen has taken us past the rhetoric, to the more productive question of what are we going to do about climate change. We at CSGA are very grateful that for his work on this critical issue."

Congressman Van Hollen is a leading supporter of congressional efforts to address global climate change, serving as Co-Chair of the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change, Co-Chair the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, and as a member of the Safe Climate Caucus and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. He has also been a leader in the fight to protect the Chesapeake Bay, serving as a founding co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Caucus and helping to secure funding for agricultural conservation programs that protect the bay.

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