Pallone Condemns GOP’s Continued Assault on Meaningful Climate Action

As the World Meets in Paris to Address Growing Threat of Climate Change, House Republicans Continue to Ignore Reality & Block Progress

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, condemned House Republican’s latest assault on action to combat climate change. As the leaders of more than 190 nations met in Paris for an historic summit to address the urgent and existential threat of climate change, House Republicans today voted to gut the critical public health protections in the Clean Air Act and attack the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to cut carbon pollution and address global climate change. S.J. Res. 23 and S.J. Res. 24 gut EPA’s Clean Power Plan and carbon pollution standards for new and modified power plants.

On the House floor in opposition to the resolutions, Congressman Pallone said, “Every significant effort to improve air quality through Clean Air Act regulations has met the same tired, old arguments from the GOP – it will cost too much, it will jeopardize the reliability of our electric system, and we don’t have the technology to meet new standards. And, every time these dire predictions put forward by my Republican colleagues have failed to materialize.”

Click here for full video statement.

New Jersey citizens submitted 108,780 comments to EPA in support of the Clean Power Plan, under which New Jersey’s power plants will reduce carbon emissions by 10 million metric tons by 2025. In 2013, New Jersey’s electric power sector emitted 16 million metric tons of carbon, equivalent to the yearly pollution of over 3 million cars. Furthermore, New Jersey’s five dirtiest power plants combined make up 58% of New Jersey’s power sector emissions.

The Clean Power Plan is the first federal requirement to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. If complied with, through a program like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), it can have significant and positive economic and environmental impacts. From Maine to Maryland, nine states currently participate in RGGI in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Unfortunately, Governor Chris Christie has withdrawn New Jersey from participation in the program.

Today, Pallone and his fellow House Democrats stood united with the majority of Americans and leaders from around the globe as they highlighted the devastating effects that these resolutions would have on our country’s progress to combat damaging pollution and catastrophic climate change.