Environment

I am a strong advocate for the conservation of our region’s land and water. As your representative I have made it a top priority to conserve our area’s coastal regions, including the South Shore and Long Island Sound, and to protect our wildlife refuges and local parks. Additionally, I will continue to fight for clean, renewable energy while creating jobs and easing energy costs.

As a member of the Land Water Conservation Fund Caucus, I have been a longtime supporter of funding for the Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and strongly believe the program should be permanently reauthorized. LWCF supports public land conservation to ensure Americans continue to have access to the outdoors, in rural communities as well as more urban areas alike. Furthermore, LWCF doesn’t burden the taxpayer; LWCF is fully funded by revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling.  

I am a recipient of the Friend of the National Parks Award for my support of the National Park System. I supported provisions to help conserve parks and monuments while opposing legislation that may hinder the creation of new national monuments in the future. Additionally, I voted to secure funds to rebuild parks and historical treasures.

Superstorm Sandy was the second largest natural disaster in our nation’s history and the most devastating and costly to affect New York and Long Island. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this damage is equivalent to 30 years of erosion.  The resulting exposure has left our shoreline vulnerable to even moderate storms, and must be addressed immediately. The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, for which I fought tirelessly in the House of Representatives, provided $61 billion for hurricane relief, including $5.3 billion in funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake both emergency and long-term beach restoration projects. I was proud to lead the fight to acquire funds to restore and fortify our shoreline.

I support the Long Island Sound Improvement Act. This legislation aims to improve and restore water quality in the Long Island Sound while conducting studies to strengthen the implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Throughout my 22 years in Congress, I have remained committed to securing funding for the protection of the Long Island Sound. 

I believe using alternative methods, such a tax credits, to produce clean, renewable energy is a more effective way to curb emissions than by imposing strict EPA regulations which hike up energy prices. I am in support of both wind and solar tax credits. These tax credits will continue to promote the use of solar and wind energy as renewable energy resources.

Furthermore, I am a supporter of the 45Q tax credit. This credit is awarded to businesses that practice the process of carbon capture and storage. The technology used is capable of capturing up to 90% of the carbon emissions from fossil fuel power plants which is then safely stored. This credit helps to reduce carbon emissions without the use of strict regulations. I recently co-sponsored the Carbon Capture Act; this act would further expand the tax credit.