News

Press Releases

Dec 10, 2020 Press Release
"Under the leadership of President-elect Joe Biden, the United States is ready to renew its pledge to the Paris Agreement and declare its strong commitment to solving the climate crisis," said Chair Castor.
Dec 1, 2020 Press Release
In a letter, Members urged the administration to stop eleventh-hour regulatory actions that will threaten vulnerable families and communities.
Nov 25, 2020 Press Release
Today, House Committee Chairs sent a letter to 61 federal agencies requesting information on conversions of political appointees to civil service positions during the Trump Administration.
Nov 10, 2020 Press Release
Today, Committee Chairs across the House of Representatives sent letters directing the White House and more than 50 federal agencies within their jurisdictions to comply with federal record-keeping laws and preserve information responsive to congressional subpoenas and investigations.
Oct 20, 2020 Press Release
Bold Climate Action In Sunshine State Could Prevent More Than 100,000 Deaths And 40,000 Emergency Room Visits And Hospitalizations Over Next 50 Years, According To New Oversight Report
Oct 14, 2020 Press Release
As Americans continue to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, the House Democratic Caucus and the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis will host a discussion on how the worsening climate and environmental racism are contributing to inequality in health outcomes in Latino and Hispanic communities, as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Opinion Pieces

Aug 9, 2021 Opinion Piece
"We’ve known for years that we are in a race against time. We’ve run out of time. Now, every bit of pollution — and every fraction of a degree — counts," writes Chair Castor in the New York Times.
Apr 20, 2021 Opinion Piece
Just as past presidents led our allies through major global crises, President Biden is poised to build a new era of American leadership to guide the rest of the world into a clean energy future, with good-paying jobs and technological innovation.
Apr 12, 2021 Opinion Piece
It’s time we make the right investments that will power our 21st century economy, putting Americans to work and helping us reach net zero as fast as the science requires.

Reports & Documents

Dec 12, 2022

Majority Staff Report

This majority staff report highlights the historic progress made by House Democrats to reduce heat-trapping pollution, lower energy costs, and create good-paying jobs across America by addressing the climate crisis and deploying cleaner, cheaper energy. It also outlines progress made to help communities adapt to climate impacts and become more resilient in the face of worsening extreme weather events. 

Those accomplishments include investments in bills like the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS & Science Act, the Energy Act of 2020, the yearly appropriations bills, the National Defense Authorization Act, and more.

A two-page summary of the report is available here.

Some of the key accomplishments highlighted in the new report include:

  • Laying the foundation to slash pollution across the board with tax credits that will drive investment in affordable clean energy, electric vehicles made in America, and cost-saving energy efficiency technologies;

  • A massive down payment on the electrification of the entire economy, with substantial investments and policy changes in electric transmission and a historic deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure;

  • Making environmental justice a cornerstone of climate action, with a focus on stronger enforcement of environmental laws and increasing investments to EJ communities, including rural and tribal communities;

  • Creating good-paying jobs for American workers as a key aspect of solving the climate crisis, with tax incentives that provide bonuses for high-road labor standards;

  • Transformational incentives for domestic manufacturing of climate solutions to enhance American economic competitiveness and investments in clean energy demonstrations to commercialize advanced technologies;

  • A cross-cutting approach to reducing methane pollution from the oil and gas sector, including the first-ever Methane Emissions Reduction Program;

  • Transforming and strengthening our nation’s core infrastructure from every corner, including transportation, clean water, broadband, and a reliable electric grid that can increasingly withstand climate impacts;

  • Making unprecedented investments to deploy natural climate solutions, expanding conservation measures and harnessing the power of our lands and waters to capture heat-trapping pollution and boost resilience;

  • Advancing climate science within the federal government, improving earth observations and data collection, climate and oceanic research, and emissions measurements;

  • Working to protect the health of all Americans, reducing air and climate pollution and directing funding for disadvantaged communities to help reduce impacts on public health;

  • Reaffirming America’s leadership role in global efforts to reduce heat-trapping pollution and help vulnerable communities adapt to climate impacts; and

  • Confronting the national security implications of the climate crisis, advancing mitigation and resilience for our nation’s military, prioritizing energy resilience and security, and increasing preparedness for personnel, operations, and installations.

The report, which follows up on the Select Committee's Climate Crisis Action Plan from the 116th Congress, also highlights additional opportunities for future Congresses to address the climate crisis, including the need for:

  • A comprehensive transmission strategy to meet the increased electric load from electrification of vehicles, buildings, and industrial processes;

  • A Clean Electricity Standard, Zero Emission Vehicle sales standards, and other sector-specific standards to provide certainty for investments in pollution reduction;

  • A comprehensive approach to critical minerals sourcing and recycling, including updating outdated mining laws to ensure critical minerals are secured in an environmentally, economically, and socially responsible way;

  • Continued investments in research for hard-to-decarbonize sectors like off-road transportation and industry, and for carbon removal;

  • Improving community engagement in the permitting process, addressing the cumulative impacts of plastic production and disposal in fenceline communities, and supporting efforts to strengthen the environmental justice focus of agencies;

  • Increasing support for workforce development and communities experiencing energy transitions, including through registered apprenticeships and a reimagined Civilian Conservation Corps, and ensuring all workers are protected by securing strong labor standards, especially during any extreme weather conditions or events;

  • A National Adaptation and Resilience Plan, including strategies to advance climate science and tools, expand technical assistance to improve planning and access to federal programs, and prioritize investments in environmental justice communities;

  • Advancing resilience-based codes and standards against rising flood, wildfire, and extreme weather risks, and accelerating disaster recovery and bridging the resilience and protection gap for communities at greatest risk;

  • Implementing nature-based solutions on public, private, and working lands and waters, enshrining climate mitigation and adaptation in federal natural resource and land management, and protecting and conserving at least 30% of lands and waters;

  • Increasing research on climate and public health impacts, prioritizing health equity in federal planning for climate impacts on the healthcare sector and public health, recognizing the disproportionate burden on disadvantaged communities; and ensuring all health sector infrastructure is resilient to the impacts of climate change;

  • Fulfilling our commitments to mobilize climate finance for developing countries, and expanding diplomatic, humanitarian, and military capacity to address climate issues; and

  • Embedding climate considerations into all facets of national security and defense policy, including acquisitions, vehicles, technologies, construction, and other approaches.

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