July 27, 2024
Dear Friends,
The final days in Washington before the District Work Period are always buzzing with activity, and this week has been no different in that regard. In the midst of it all, however, my mission to advance policies and legislation that spur our nation forward and create a better, brighter future for the next generation remain the same. And few issues will have as large an impact on the health and well-being of our children as addressing climate change.
The statistics speak for themselves. Human caused climate change is warming our planet at an alarming rate, and with far reaching consequences:
It’s long been clear that we need a robust, multi-faceted, and commonsense response that will protect public health and our planet. In my leadership role on the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee in the House, I’ve been hard at work advancing legislation that does just that, and this week, I introduced new, bipartisan legislation that would safeguard public health from an often-ignored environmental danger — indoor air quality. A few worrying statistics:
- Despite a lack of federal attention on indoor air quality, studies have shown that indoor contaminants can be 2-5 times—and occasionally 100 times—higher than outdoors.
- The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Science Advisory Board has consistently ranked poor indoor air quality among the top five environmental risks to public health.
- More than 3 million people globally die prematurely each year from disease caused by poor indoor air quality.
This threat prompted my introduction of the Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act that protects the public from poor indoor air quality. My legislation, introduced alongside my Republican colleague Brian Fitzpatrick, provides the tools to face this problem head on, by taking action to establish science-based guidelines and promote effective tools and best practices to minimize indoor health risks.
This is an important step that will lead to healthier outcomes for Americans across the nation. But we must do far more to not only support public health, but to address and reverse the growing impact of the climate crisis and drive our clean energy economy. Fortunately, we’re well on our way to tackling this crisis, thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s transformational climate actions.
Just this week, the EPA announced more than $4.3 billion in competitive grants for projects to implement community-driven solutions to the climate crisis and help accelerate America’s clean energy transition. This action is all thanks to this administration’s Clean Energy Plan under the Inflation Reduction Act. This program has given us the opportunity to invest in a cleaner economy that can spur innovation and economic growth while building more equitable, resilient communities. The proposed projects are projected to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly the emissions from 5 million average homes’ energy use, each year for over 25 years. These forward-thinking actions will slash greenhouse gases and other harmful air pollution for the health and wellbeing of everyone.
All this historic progress falls in stark contrast to Republicans’ efforts. They’ve put pen to paper outlining the draconian cuts they seek to advance through Donald Trump’s Project 2025, a 900+ page doctrine that would take over the government, rip away freedoms, and slash benefits for millions of Americans.
This dystopian plan denies the realities of climate change and cripples our response to this crisis, reversing our hard-won progress by dismantling the Inflation Reduction Act, gutting the Environmental Protection Agency, and encouraging fossil fuel extraction on public lands. These actions would make it impossible to fulfill our climate goals, would raise energy costs, and would weaken both our economy and public health.
At their core, the policies of Project 2025 would hurdle us backwards. What we need now more than ever is to look forward and consider the generations that follow us. That brighter future is what Democrats are pushing for, I won’t stop working to find commonsense, science-based solutions that protect our communities and our planet.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- In the Town of Greenfield is offering free grab and go lunches for kids as part of a summer meals program administered by Captain Community Human Services of Clifton Park.
- The town has lunches available for anyone 18 and under until August 23rd and will serve meals including hoagie style sandwiches, pizza, chicken tenders, vegetables, and more.
- The meals will be distributed Monday through Friday at the Greenfield Community Center at 25 Wilton Road, from 11AM to 11:30AM.
- Captain CHS is offering free summer meals programs for children across in multiple areas across Saratoga County during the month of July and most of August.
- Click HERE to view those free lunch sites, which include Mechanicville Public Library, Schuylerville Public Library, Fort Hardy Park, and more.
