[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 99 (Thursday, July 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2014

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 9, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2609) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. WAXMAN. Madam Chair, I rise today on behalf of the Safe Climate 
Caucus to continue our effort to end the conspiracy of silence in this 
body surrounding the issue of our time: the growing threat posed by 
climate change.
  We have a moral obligation to be responsible stewards of the 
environment for our children and future generations. History will not 
judge the House of Representatives kindly if we continue to ignore the 
mounting danger and act like the last refuge of the Flat Earth Society.
  Yet that is what we are doing. The Republican strategy amounts to a 
conspiracy of silence. Despite our repeated requests for hearings and 
debate, the Republican majority refuses to hold hearings, continues to 
deny the science, and passes legislation that recklessly endangers our 
atmosphere.
  In the last Congress, the Republican-led House voted 53 times to 
block any action on climate change. The Energy and Water Appropriations 
bill on the floor this week guts funding for research and development 
for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
  It is still not too late to stop the rising CO2 levels in 
our atmosphere. The United Sates can still be the world leader in the 
clean energy technologies of the future. But we must act now.

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