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We’ve reached a turning point with regards to the environment. Not only must we protect our public lands and tackle this climate crisis, we need to ensure access to the beautiful environment that surrounds us.
Green New Deal Our nation is facing a climate emergency, which is why I support the Green New Deal -- a jobs and justice-centered plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy within ten years and focuses on creating the maximum amount of prosperity for working people and marginalized communities in the process. The main goals of the Green New Deal are to: achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, create millions of high wage jobs and ensure prosperity and economic security, invest in the American infrastructure and industry to meet the needs of the 21st century, ensure clean air and water, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment for all, and create just and equitable social and economic systems that care for our frontline and vulnerable communities. While we need to take incremental steps in the meantime to address our devastating climate crisis, we can no longer delay aggressive, transformative action. That's why I voted AGAINST my House Democrats colleagues' bill, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. Each year our sea levels rise higher, California burns hotter, and deadly natural disasters grow worse. We need to meet this challenge head on, or there won't be a planet for the next generation to enjoy. That's why I'm a cosponsor of H.Res.332 to call on the federal government to implement a Green New Deal and commit all necessary resources to protecting our planet. I'm also an original cosponsor of the Green New Deal for Cities Act of 2021. Affordable Sustainability The Inflation Reduction Act, which I support, is the largest package to fight the climate crisis ever passed by the United States Congress. It would cut energy costs and strengthen America’s energy security, while combatting the climate crisis by reducing carbon pollution by 40 percent by 2030. The Inflation Reduction Act includes three bills that I put forth as part of the Build Back Better Act, which provide tax credits for used electric vehicles and increase incentives to make homes more efficient and help lower consumers’ energy bills. As the Ways & Means Racial Equity Initiative Co-Chair, I know this package represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to support working families with the essential support they need while also making our economy greener, stronger, and more equitable. And if we're serious about combating climate change, we can't expect working families to solve this problem alone. While holding corporations accountable, I want to give Americans a pathway to make their own 'green' choices. That's why I introduced the Affordable EVs for Working Families Act to create a brand new tax credit for working families who purchase used electric vehicles. I've also introduced the Home Energy Savings Act and the New Home Energy Efficiency Act. These bipartisan bills would restore and strengthen a tax credit for energy efficient home upgrades and incentivize new home construction to prioritize energy efficiency and environmental impact. These three bills are included in the GREEN Act of 2021. I introduced this bill with my Ways and Means Committee colleagues to provide a thorough approach to utilizing the tax code to address climate change. Our Climate Emergency I'm an original cosponsor of the Climate Emergency Act of 2021, which would require President Biden to declare a national climate emergency and mobilize every resource at the country's disposal to halt, reverse, mitigate, and prepare for the consequences of this climate crisis. In May 2019, I cosponsored and voted to pass the Climate Action Now Act, which would reinstate the United States' climate objectives agreed to in the Paris Agreement that the Trump administration withdrew from. Protecting our Public Lands In February 2021, House Democrats passed a sweeping public lands conservation bill that included the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act. I'm a cosponsor of this bill, which would add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. In 2019 and 2021, I introduced the Transit to Trails Act with Senator Cory Booker. This bill would create a grant program to improve multi-modal transportation to public lands, parks, and waters, especially for low-income and minority communities. On July 1, 2021, this bill passed in the House as part of the INVEST in America Act. California Clean Coast Act of 2021 |
