Issue Report ● Energy and the Environment

Democrats Act on the Climate Crisis, Fight Back Against President Trump’s Efforts to Roll Back Public Health and Environmental Protections

For Immediate Release: 
September 18, 2019
Contact Info: 
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
Acting on the climate crisis continues to be a top priority for the American people. According to a recent Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation poll, the majority of Americans believe we must act on the climate crisis now and that the Trump Administration is not doing enough:
  • 76% believe climate change is a crisis or major problem;
  • Eight in 10 Americans believe that human activity is exacerbating climate change;
  • 67% percent of Americans are “unhappy” with how the President has addressed climate change;
  • 66% percent oppose Trump’s plan to freeze fuel efficiency standards; and
  • Nearly half of Americans want action within the next decade to subvert the consequences of a warming climate.
Yet the Trump Administration continues to roll back environmental and public health protections and adopt policies that exacerbate the climate crisis and abdicate American leadership on this issue. According to the New York Times, 85 environmental rules are being rolled back by the Trump Administration, including:  
  • Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement: The U.S. is now the only country not participating in the accord.
  • Repealing the Clean Power Plan: This move allows carbon pollution from power plants – a major source of the pollution that drives climate change – to continue.
  • Freezing fuel economy standards for cars and trucks: The Administration is forcing consumers to spend more money on less efficient and more costly cars to fill-up. Most recently, the Administration is attempting to revoke California’s right to set stricter standards for cars and light trucks, standards that have been adopted by 13 states, Washington, DC, and major automakers.
  • Rolling back protections to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas wells: The Administration is reversing protections on this major contributor of climate change - protections supported by oil companies.
  • Expanding oil and gas drilling: The Administration is putting coastal communities and vulnerable ecosystems at risk by allowing drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, the Gulf Coast of Florida, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Meanwhile, House Democrats are addressing this crisis with the seriousness it deserves, while knowing more must be done:  
  • Ensuring oversight and examining this issue with over 80 hearings: For the first time in a decade, House Committees have held numerous hearings on the climate crisis, examining how to effectively combat climate change, looking at pathways to a more resilient infrastructure to withstand the consequences of climate change, and boosting the clean energy industry and creation of jobs.  
  • Passing the Climate Action Now Act: The House passed legislation that prohibits the Trump Administration from using federal funds to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.
  • Investing in Clean Energy: The House has passed funding bills that provide substantial funding for climate and clean energy programs.   
  • Protecting Our Military: The House has passed a defense authorization bill that protects our military installations from the threats of climate change.
  • Rolling Back Drilling in Vulnerable Ecosystems: The House has passed legislation to roll back offshore drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts and the Gulf Coast of Florida as well as a bill to repeal a provision in the GOP tax scam that allows drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Click here to read the PDF. 

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