Energy and Environment
Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger feels honored to represent a state that is home to the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay as well as a district that features hundreds of miles of shoreline. He has been recognized nationally for his commitment to conservation and sensible approach to energy policy. Dutch believes:
Saving the Chesapeake Bay means saving jobs.
The Chesapeake Bay contributes $1 trillion to the economies of its 6-state watershed, including Maryland. Dutch supported one of the most aggressive Bay clean-up bills in decades – the Chesapeake Clean Water & Ecosystem Restoration Act – which requires states to meet strict pollution caps and authorizes new funding to reduce run-off. He has proudly secured millions of federal dollars for projects in and around the Bay, such as the reconstruction of menhaden and oyster habitats essential to improving water quality.
A strong Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act will improve the quality of life for all Americans.
The public relies on the government to protect our only two universally-used resources: water and air. For decades, the federal Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act have been responsible for ensuring these life-giving resources are available for generations to come. Dutch has opposed – and will continue to oppose – unreasonable legislation and legislative riders that would weaken these acts as well as the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce them.
We must take an “all of the above” approach to energy policy.
Dutch is deeply concerned about our dependence on hostile foreign countries for oil. Our country uses 25 percent of the oil consumed in the world, but sits atop only 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves. So he believes all options – including wind, solar power and nuclear energy – should be on the table.
Climate change is real and we must act now to mitigate its effects.
Scientific evidence has proven that human activity is contributing to global climate change. Dutch supported landmark efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent before 2050 by requiring polluters to purchase carbon credits to fund energy efficiency programs. He supports funding for programs to help manufacturers and farmers reduce their carbon output and tax credits to help American businesses and homeowners reduce their energy use and lower their utility bills. These investments can help substantially reduce pollution while creating millions of jobs, such as installing solar panels, manufacturing wind turbines and renovating homes.
Mass transit is a strategic investment that will keep American workers and American products on the move and reduce our carbon footprint.
Every American business and worker relies on dependable and efficient transit, including our highways, runways, railways and waterways. For every $1 billion of federal funds invested in transit infrastructure, we create or save about 34,800 jobs in some of the hardest-hit industries. Dutch always supports robust transportation funding during the annual appropriations process. He is actively working with partners in local government, as well as private investors, to determine how best to improve mass transit in the I-95 corridor, which is one of the most congested in the country.
Lake Berryessa Recreation Enhancement Act of 2016
More on Energy and Environment
(Washington, DC) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation authored by Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) and cosponsored by Congressman Don Young (R-AK) that will help local and state governments protect the country’s 95,000 miles of shoreline. The Digital Coast Act will now be considered by the U.S. Senate, which already passed the legislation before technical changes were made.
BALTIMORE – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $3 million in federal funding for the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) to develop technology that reduces air pollution and recycles carbon waste.
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger joined a bicameral letter with 19 of his colleagues to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler urging the agency to clarify its position on the enforcement of the 2010 Chesapeake Bay Agreement pollution reduction targets.
(Washington, DC) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation authored by Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) that will help local and state governments protect the country’s 95,000 miles of shoreline. The Digital Coast Act was included in H.R. 729, a package of bills that seek to protect coastal communities in the “splash zone” of climate change.
WASHINGTON – Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, led by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and Congressman Steny Hoyer, hosted senior officials from the EPA and the State of Maryland on Tuesday for a wide-ranging conversation about the Chesapeake Bay. Attendees included Cardin, Hoyer, Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes and Jamie Raskin.
(Washington, DC) – The U.S. House of Representative’s Committee on Natural Resources has passed bipartisan legislation authored by Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) that will help local and state governments protect the country’s 95,000 miles of shoreline.
(Washington, DC) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Defense Appropriator, today voted in favor of legislation authorizing $733 billion in defense-related activities, including a 3.1 percent pay raise for troops, improving military housing and programs supporting military families.
(Washington, D.C.) – Representative John Carter (TX-31) passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to give military recycling centers the authority to accept quality recyclable goods from local communities and allow the profits from the sale of these materials to go to the Soldier Morale, Welfare & Recreation account. Rep. Carter offered the amendment with Representatives Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Richard Hudson (D-NC), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), and Steve Womack (R-AK).
(Washington, DC) – Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) and Don Young (R-AK) along with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will help local and state governments protect the country’s 95,000 miles of shoreline.
(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) today announced his support of H.Res. 109, commonly known as the “Green New Deal” resolution to address climate change. He issued the following statement:
“I’ve heard the Green New Deal resolution described as utopian, aspirational and overly ambitious. And I agree with all of these. Achieving carbon neutrality and guaranteeing jobs for all within 10 years – and figuring out how to pay for it –with bipartisan support will be extremely challenging given the current political climate.