In the News
Jul 02, 2013
As co-chairs of SEEC, we are pleased the President’s plan builds on many of the successful initiatives our coalition has long advocated for: expanding the development of clean and renewable energy on public lands; promoting technologies, such as combined heat and power (CHP), that save energy and withstand extreme weather events; and having the federal government lead by example by retrofitting federal buildings to operate using less energy and drawing more of the energy they use from renewable sources.
Jun 05, 2013
That assertion underscores a new theme undertaken yesterday by the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), a group of 50 Democratic House members. It focuses on the financial costs of natural calamities like Superstorm Sandy, damaging thunderstorms and wildfires. In floor speeches, lawmakers compared the amount of disaster spending last year, which they say amounted to $96 billion, to budget outlays for things like education, transportation and housing. Disasters won, they say.
Jun 04, 2013
As hurricane season begins and vulnerable coastal communities brace for high winds and storm surges, Congress needs to ask itself: What can we be doing to better protect and manage existing and new development along our coastlines? How can we minimize the destruction of life and property suffered by so many in hurricanes like Katrina, Rita, Irene, and Sandy?
May 24, 2013
Members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) tried to ensure that H.R. 3 maintains the accountability the American people expect from legislation that authorizes a potentially hazardous oil pipeline.
May 08, 2013
Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who has served as top Democrat on the committee’s public lands panel for the past three sessions of Congress, said he will continue to vie for the seat, promising to bring a progressive voice to the committee, which oversees the management of one-fifth of the U.S. landmass. Grijalva is also a member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, while DeFazio is not.
May 06, 2013
President Barack Obama is being pressed by opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline to tie any approval to measures that would curb climate change, reflecting mounting pressure on the administration to mitigate the project’s impact if it goes forward.
“I think it’s going to happen,” said Representative Jim Moran, a Virginia Democrat and member of the House’s Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. “The odds look pretty strong right now.”
Apr 11, 2013
A group of House Democrats pressed the White House to reject the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline during a closed-door meeting with President Obama’s top climate advisor.
Apr 10, 2013
Heather Zichal’s closed-door session with the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) will come one day after Obama releases his fiscal 2014 budget proposal, giving the 48-member caucus a chance to weigh in on the president’s priorities.
Feb 12, 2013
Co-Chairs Paul Tonko and Gerry Connolly outline some of what they would like to see from the President in his State of the Union address and during his second term.
Feb 12, 2013
It is easy to find excuses for not confronting a problem like climate change. All of these are not explanations for our inaction, but simply excuses to justify our natural reluctance to commit.