[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 27, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             CLIMATE CHANGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Ben Ray Lujan) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, in recent years we've 
seen an increase in major weather events, especially in the continental 
United States. From record-setting superstorms to severe droughts and 
devastating wildfires, the recent impact of climate change cannot be 
ignored.
  In my home State of New Mexico, ranchers and farmers are struggling 
to maintain their livelihoods in the face of drought conditions, while 
last year wildfires threatened communities that have still not fully 
recovered.
  A rapidly changing climate affects everyone on the planet. Climate 
change impacts agriculture, water supplies, power and transportation 
systems, and even our health and public safety.
  In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and one of the worst wildfire 
seasons in the western United States that we've ever seen, it's time to 
work together on commonsense solutions that will allow us to use power 
in a smarter manner, produce clean and abundant renewable energy, and 
reduce emissions through energy efficiency. These are things we should 
be able to agree on and work together on in a bipartisan manner.
  It is critical that we move forward with a sense of urgency and take 
meaningful action that addresses the very real threats of climate 
change that are already impacting our country.
  Sequestration is devastating America today. Madam Speaker, we just 
heard from one of my colleagues. This week we're scheduled to go on 
recess on Friday. I hope that my colleague that spoke today, Madam 
Speaker, reaches out to Speaker Boehner and Eric Cantor and says, Keep 
us in session. Let's stop this sequestration from happening. And it's 
quite simple. The fix to this legislation could be put together in one 
sentence: Stop it. I guess even better, in two words.
  Madam Speaker, we have a sense of urgency across the country when it 
comes to working on climate change legislation, but as we talk about 
the impacts to each and every one of our districts with what 
sequestration will bring with job losses, let's stand together and stop 
this. Let's ask our leadership to allow us to vote on a simple couple 
of words: Stop sequestration, and let's prevent it from happening.

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