WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today said she is looking forward to hearing former Vice President Al Gore's testimony on global climate change before a rare joint meeting of two House committees.
“It is appropriate that Al Gore comes to Capitol Hill now,” said Giffords, who serves as vice chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. “This issue is very much on the minds of all Americans.”
Gore, who served as the nation's 45th vice president from 1993 to 2001, will testify about global climate change at 9:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 21. He will appear before a joint meeting of members from the Science and Technology Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Long a champion of environmental causes, Gore is the author of the 1992 bestseller, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit. His film, An Inconvenient Truth, recently won the Academy Award for best documentary.
“Combating climate change and finding renewable sources of energy are no longer fringe causes,” Giffords said. “No longer can we dismiss those who have boldly taken up such causes as extremist. Most Americans now know about the potentially devastating affects of rising global temperatures, rising sea levels and the continued use of fossil fuels. I look forward to hearing what the former vice president has to say.”
Giffords' subcommittee oversees civilian research and development programs with the Department of Energy, including renewable energy and conservation. It also has direct responsibilities in overseeing programs at the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Tucson congresswoman also serves on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees.