The Most Historic Action to Fight Climate Change is Now Law! August 20, 2022 Dear Friends,For decades, scientists and researchers have been sounding the alarm on climate change. They have left no shred of doubt that human impact is worsening this crisis and that—without bold action to turn the tide—our communities will suffer even greater consequences.Yet, for decades, Congress has failed to act. Until now.I went into this Congress knowing that getting a climate-focused reconciliation bill over the finish line would be the single most effective action we could take to address our climate crisis, all while creating good jobs and spurring economic growth. As Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee in the House, I pushed day in and day out to author and deliver a package of climate policies that could unite the Democratic Caucus and get signed into law.Despite many hurdles, that unceasing work paid off with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation that will fight inflation and cut costs for consumers, while taking the most aggressive action in American history to combat the climate crisis and drive clean energy investments. In last week’s newsletter, I scratched the surface of the transformational investments this legislation will take. And this week, I met with advocates, local leaders, innovators, and residents to herald this action and highlight a few of the countless climate wins in our Inflation Reduction Act, as well as seeing local efforts to address climate change:I stood with local climate activists on Tuesday to celebrate the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act into law and to showcase the lasting benefits this bill will have on our environment and local communities. I visited Troy to see the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program in action. I fought for years to fund this program, and I was thrilled to see it providing needed support and savings to hardworking families in our region.I joined my friend and colleague Congressman Matt Cartwright on a tour of GE Research to speak with their engineers and researchers who are spearheading innovative new solutions to driving our clean energy transition. I had a ride-along in one of Aclima’s air quality monitoring vehicles to learn more about their air monitoring partnership with New York State that drives focus on disadvantaged communities and spurs environmental justice.I met with leadership and staff of American Clean Power (ACP), Alliance for Clean Energy NY, and Key Capture Energy on Thursday and was honored to receive their Clean Power Champion Award in recognition of my many years of work to support offshore wind, clean power development, and more.I visited Livingston Energy Group’s facility in Schenectady to learn more about their exciting work installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and discuss my efforts in Congress delivering legislation that would support this vital infrastructure.I am energized after my visits and seeing all the countless ways that our local communities are protecting public health and the environment by driving down emissions and tackling climate change.The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act was the result of years of diligent work and collaboration among members, staff, scientists, researchers, and advocates all raising their voices in unity to state loud and clear: climate can’t wait. The benefits of this law will be felt for generations to come as we work to implement these policies effectively and equitably. But this legislation is just the start of our nation’s response to climate change.I’ll continue looking for any and every opportunity to implement meaningful legislation that brings about a cleaner, more just, and more equitable future for all. As always, thank you for reading. Your friend, DID YOU KNOW?My office and I are working to ensure 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:With rampant flooding, droughts, wildfires and severe storms driven by Earth’s rapidly changing climate—delivering information on how to best keep yourselves and your families safe during this extreme weather is more critical than ever before.To keep you updated, I hosted an informational forum on Thursday focused on climate change and emergency preparedness.Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) gave wonderful presentations covering the latest resources, and tips, from their agencies. They also answered several constituent questions.You can view a full recording of this event on my Facebook page.