Friend –
This week, Youngkin’s Air Pollution Control Board voted 4-1, with two members abstaining, to pull the Commonwealth out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). This vote has now launched a process that could see Virginia leave the regional agreement by the end of next year.
What does this mean for Virginia? Loss of hundreds of millions of dollars to build out our coastal resilience. Increased carbon emissions that will continue to destroy our climate, causing massive floods, unprecedented temperature increases, and further erosion of our shoreline. A loss of funding for those projects that help to bring critical energy efficiency and weatherization efforts to aging homes.
Simply put, Youngkin’s steps are contrary to what the General Assembly put into law; they are the opposite of what most Virginians want; and his efforts are clearly destructive, both economically and environmentally.
Youngkin is consistent in his efforts to move Virginia in the wrong direction, even when it comes to our families’ future.
He tried to appoint Trump’s disgraced EPA Director Andrew Wheeler as our Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. Virginia’s Senate Democrats defeated that terrible appointment.
He tried to remove Virginia from RGGI through legislation. Virginia’s Senate Democrats defeated that bill.
Time and time again, I and my Senate Democratic colleagues have challenged Youngkin and his team on those efforts that harm our Commonwealth and our constituents. I promise that I will fight these latest efforts as well.
We have a critical election coming up in November that will determine Virginia’s direction for most of this decade. The urgency of reducing carbon emissions is not up for debate. Our children’s future depends on it.
If you can, please consider supporting my campaign with a contribution today. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Ghazala Hashmi |
