In the News

This month our congresswoman, Doris Matsui, joined 44 SEEC members to commend President Barack Obama for his recently announced Climate Action Plan. I am proud to be a constituent of Matsui's and am grateful for her leadership in addressing climate change.

Markey's departure has cast a spotlight on the growing number of ambitious junior House Democrats, who have brought extensive background in dealing with climate policy before they entered Congress and a desire to spur significant action. Although Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) remains very much a presence as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, he now has a large corps of partners and prospective successors in an epic generational change. Includes SEEC co-chair Paul Tonko (NY), vice-chair Jared Polis (CO), and Members Donna Edwards (MD) and Jared Huffman (CA).

President Barack Obama doesn’t need Congress to enact his climate change plan, but the White House is counting on House and Senate Democrats to help him sell it. Lawmakers say they emerged from meetings this month with White House energy adviser Heather Zichal better prepared to explain the plan to their constituents — and to convince them of the need to address climate change. “The public education [and] public information piece is critical,” said Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), the co-chairman of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. “Not only does the public have the right to know, but it’s essential that they do know because inaction here can allow very bad things to happen.” Nine members of the coalition met with Zichal on Friday afternoon in a Capitol office building. While the president’s plan focuses on administrative actions, like EPA’s first-ever greenhouse gas rules for power plants, lawmakers can help rally public support by explaining how climate change will affect their states and communities. That will be especially crucial during the long August recess, when Republicans are expected to intensify their attacks on the plan. As part of the effort, Zichal said Thursday that the administration is forming a “task force of local leaders” to make recommendations to the federal government about ways to tackle climate change. “We talked about outreach, and I think a lot of members felt strongly that you need to work at the local level — work with local governments, work with members of Congress who are willing to collaborate and cooperate, highlight what is being done at the local level,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), another co-chairman of the coalition. Connolly said he encouraged Zichal to better “help people connect the dots” by explaining what’s at stake for the public if nothing prevents the worst effects of climate change. “It’s one thing to say that the sea levels are rising, but what does it mean for me and my community?” Connolly said.

President Obama’s chief climate and energy adviser made the rounds Friday to brief House Democrats on the administration's climate agenda. Heather Zichal had sit-downs with Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources committees, and nine members of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) on Capitol Hill.

The House passed its Fiscal Year 2014 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill late Thursday night on a mostly party line vote of 227 to 198 despite strong objections from members of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) and under the threat of veto from the White House.

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.

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.

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?