[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 173 (Tuesday, December 1, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H8650-H8651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PARIS CLIMATE TALKS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, this week, more than 40,000 negotiators 
from 196 governments have descended on the French capital for the Paris 
climate summit. This summit provides the world with a critical 
opportunity to take a significant step toward creating an ambitious and 
effective global framework for addressing climate change.
  Climate change is no longer a problem for future generations. It is 
our problem, and we must act now. Paris gives us that opportunity.
  The science demonstrating the reality of climate change advances by 
the day. In fact, 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have occurred 
since the year 2000, and 2015 is on track to be the warmest year of 
all.
  No country, no matter how large or small, wealthy or poor, is immune 
to the detrimental effects we will face if we do not address this 
global climate crisis.
  The good news is that there has been quite a bit of global action 
over the past few months leading up to the Paris summit. Nearly 180 
countries, covering more than 95 percent of the global greenhouse gas 
emissions, have pledged to take steps to reduce CO2 
emissions.
  A U.N. report shows that the pledges submitted so far represent a 
substantial step in global action that will significantly curtail the 
world's carbon trajectory.

                              {time}  1015

  If those pledges are implemented, global warming would slow to 
roughly 3 degrees by 2100. While this isn't enough to meet U.N. 
targets, it is better than the 4- to 5-degree increase if nothing were 
done.
  With such a significant and impactful opportunity in front of us, 
many eyes are on the U.S. What will we do? How will we act?
  As the world's largest economy and the second largest emitter of 
carbon dioxide, we cannot stand by and do nothing. Thanks to President 
Obama, we have made real progress in advancing our goals of reducing 
emissions and improving our air quality.

[[Page H8651]]

  Earlier this year the administration finalized the Clean Power Plan, 
which establishes the first ever national standards to limit carbon 
pollution from existing power plants. This is a plan that will prevent 
up to 3,600 premature deaths, 90,000 asthma attacks in children, and 
300,000 missed workdays and schooldays, all the while creating tens of 
thousands of jobs and saving American families money on their energy 
bills.
  Right now world leaders at the Paris Climate Summit are working to 
forge international progress on the climate crisis. So it comes as no 
surprise that my colleagues here in Congress are taking action on this 
important topic as well. Not so much.
  In Paris, they are developing a road map to gradually reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions. In Washington, we are voting on resolutions 
that would nullify the only national plan we have to address carbon 
pollution.
  In Paris, the burden of slashing greenhouse gases is being shared by 
everyone, not just the wealthy countries. In Washington, some, the 
majority, are reluctant to take any blame for this growing crisis.
  This all makes perfect sense. Right?
  At a time when the world is coming together to address one of the 
defining issues of our lifetime, some of my colleagues have decided to 
sabotage American leadership on this critical topic.
  This is not what American families need, and this is certainly not 
what the world needs to see from a global leader.
  Theodore Roosevelt once said, ``Knowing what's right doesn't mean 
much unless you do what's right.''
  We know we are running out of time to mitigate climate change. If we 
fail to take meaningful action now, that knowledge will mean nothing.
  As with any global challenge, climate change will not be solved in 
one fell swoop. No single action, no single government, and no single 
summit will decisively address one of the greatest global threats our 
world has ever seen.
  But Paris does allow us the opportunity to devise a common purpose to 
create a better world for future generations.
  I urge my colleagues to do the right thing, vote against these 
harmful environmental riders on the floor this week, and allow America 
to be the leader on climate change.

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