The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis today unveiled a comprehensive framework to create jobs and combat the climate crisis, which incorporates 12 of U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright’s (PA-08) bills as critical tools in this effort – more than any other member of the U.S. House.
The action framework outlines ambitious and achievable policies to:
- Grow our economy and put Americans back to work in clean energy jobs;
- Protect the health of all families;
- Make sure our communities and farmers can withstand the impacts of climate change; and
- Protect America’s land and water for the next generation.
“We can unleash a wave of new job creation while tackling a major global challenge,” Cartwright said. “This is an ambitious plan with far-reaching economic and health benefits for all of us now and in the future. I’m proud to contribute my proposals to invest in modern American manufacturing, to strengthen our infrastructure as we deal with extreme weather, and to safeguard our clean water and air.”
“House Democrats recognize that we have the moral imperative to meet this moment with a bold climate action plan to reduce carbon pollution, create much-needed jobs to rebuild our economy, and tackle the systemic injustice of environmental racism head-on,” said Rep. Kathy Castor, Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
Cartwright-led legislation incorporated in the Action Plan:
- The Abandoned Mine Land Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4248) reauthorizes fee collection authority for 15 years for the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund. It funds projects such as cleaning up toxic acid mine drainage and dangerous blights, and helps turn previously unusable lands into economic development opportunities.
- The RECLAIM Act (H.R. 2156) would accelerate the release of more than $1 billion from the existing balance of the AML Trust Fund to assist communities that have traditionally relied on the coal industry for employment or have recently experienced significant coal job losses.
- The Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act (H.R. 4435) would eliminate the dangerous practice of coal companies’ self-bonding and puts in place safeguards ensuring that other forms of bonding, such collateral and pool bonding, are not abused.
- The Consortia-Led Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act (H.R. 5505) would provide up to $100 million in grants toward founding at least 6 new consortia dedicated to commercializing cutting-edge clean energy technology.
- The PREPARE Act (H.R. 4347) would implement government-wide resilience, preparedness, and risk management priorities ensuring proper funding and implementation for these initiatives.
- The Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act (H.R. 1243) would prepare our public health system for the effects of climate change by enabling enhanced disease surveillance, research, communications, education, and training programs.
- The SAFE Act (H.R. 2748) would require federal natural resource agencies to work with state, tribal and local governments to protect our natural resources from the impacts of climate change.
- The Built to Last Act (H.R. 5994) would coordinate an interagency effort at the federal level to improve the use of climate information in standard setting.
- The Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act (H.R. 3120) would provide grants of up to $200,000 to help nonprofit organizations finance purchases of energy efficiency materials for their buildings.
- The Job Creation through Energy Efficient Manufacturing Act (H.R. 5042 (115th Congress)) would create manufacturing and construction jobs by authorizing up to $600 million in funding to establish a Financing Energy Efficient Manufacturing Program for energy efficient upgrades for small- and medium-sized manufacturers.
- The CLEANER Act (H.R. 4006) would hold oil and gas companies responsible for cleaning up and disposing of the hazardous waste that results from their operations.
- The FRESHER Act (H.R. 4007) closes the loophole in the Clean Water Act that exempts oil and gas companies from critical water pollution protections and creates a study to better understand the effect of storm water runoff from oil and gas operations.
The full Select Committee report is viewable here.
The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis was created at the outset of the 116th Congress to deliver policy recommendations to other House committees on how to solve the climate crisis.
