When leading scientists throughout the world agree on a single issue, it should be a clear sign that we lawmakers need to pay attention. In Massachusetts, we will continue to see the effects of climate change through extreme weather events like the snowstorms we experienced this past winter. The record-breaking snow levels shut down our roads, trains, and even our hospitals for days on end. As your Representative in Congress, I’m committed to doing everything I can to create forward-looking policies that will make us more resilient against extreme weather and help to reduce our contribution to climate change.

Energy independence and security are important for the economic well-being of the United States, and I will support legislation that moves our country closer to energy independence when it also includes provisions that protect public health and our environment.

I’m proud to represent a state and a district that are leaders in addressing climate change. In 2007, Massachusetts joined eight other northeastern states in implementing the nation’s first market-based program aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), this proposal demonstrates what I’m telling my colleagues in Congress: environmental protection and economic growth can go hand in hand.

I believe the U.S. must be a leader on climate change, and I strongly support the President’s Clean Climate Agenda and his efforts to broker carbon reductions with China. I will continue to advocate for smart, effective regulations that decrease greenhouse gas pollution and ensure a healthier environment for future generations.