In the News

In an effort to put pressure on Pruitt as he seeks to repeal the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, House Democrats are pointing to possible negative health effects from the type of replacement rule the agency is considering. Leaders of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition are collecting signatures on a letter outlining how requiring efficiency upgrades at coal plants — rather than encouraging a shift away from coal-fired power — could cause more premature deaths than doing nothing at all.

Since the hurricanes, 23 members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition asked Pruitt — who has downplayed humans’ impact on climate change — how he will prepare for Superfund cleanups and other toxic removals “in light of increases in extreme weather.”

Democrats are expected to press to retain or expand breaks for clean energy sources wherever possible. The leaders of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition — a bloc of several dozen House Democrats — wrote Brady this week seeking a meeting to discuss the tax package.

House Democrats today pressed U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt for information on how he will prepare the nation's most polluted and hazardous sites for the impacts of climate change. The letter, led by Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, specifically asked Pruitt to elaborate on EPA's plans for containing contamination from Superfund sites, chemical plants and oil refineries during extreme weather events. Quigley is a vice chairman of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalitions. His letter was signed by all three SEEC co-chairs — Reps. Paul Tonko of New York, Doris Matsui of California and Gerald Connolly of Virginia — and fellow Vice Chairmen Jared Polis of Colorado and Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania.

Democratic House of Representatives members Gerry Connolly, Paul Tonko, and Doris Matsui said in a statement: “the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey is a dire reminder of how important it is to have a fully staffed and funded EPA that can respond quickly to protect communities after disasters, whether from accidental releases of dangerous pollutants at chemical plants or flooding of toxic Superfund sites.”

Members of Congress are criticizing efforts by the Trump administration and House Republicans to drastically reduce the size of the EPA, especially in light of recent environmental disasters, including flooding from Hurricane Harvey. H.R. 3354, an omnibus House spending bill, would fund the EPA at $528 million less than the fiscal 2017 enacted level. “We strongly oppose the harmful cuts proposed to the EPA in this bill,” Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Doris Matsui (D-CA), co-chairs of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, said in a statement Thursday. “The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey is a dire reminder of how important it is to have a fully staffed and funded EPA that can respond quickly to protect communities after disasters, whether from accidental releases of dangerous pollutants at chemical plants or flooding of toxic Superfund sites.”

More than 100 members of the House today called on U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to think twice before repealing the Clean Water Rule. Signed by 102 lawmakers, the letter was led by members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.

At this very moment, millions of individuals across Somalia, Nigeria, and the South Sudan are suffering from drought and famine. In recent years, the Philippines, a country in which the United States has invested heavily, has been devastated by typhoons and natural disasters. And not too long ago, Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc along the Atlantic coast. These events not only present environmental and humanitarian risks, they also create national security threats. While it may be difficult to attribute a specific event to climate change, it is not difficult to show carbon and methane pollution is causing a pattern of disruptions across the world. To ensure a strong defense and a prosperous future, it is absolutely critical that the United States address the connections between climate change and national security.