[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 1, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H8374-H8381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CLIMATE SOLUTIONS CAUCUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a member of the Climate 
Solutions Caucus to speak on the issue of climate change. The caucus is 
a bipartisan group of members committed to implementing economically 
viable options to reduce climate risk.
  The caucus has a ``Noah's Ark'' membership rule. Members can only 
join in pairs, one from each party. Under the leadership of co-chairs 
Mr. Curbelo and Mr. Deutch, the caucus is helping to break the partisan 
gridlock on this issue and show that promoting climate solutions can be 
truly bipartisan.
  The formation and rapid growth of the Climate Solutions Caucus 
represents a recognition of both the challenges and opportunities and 
has demonstrated that there is bipartisan will to take action.
  In recognition of the fact that 60 Members of Congress have come 
together to fight climate change in a bipartisan fashion, I organized 
this time for my colleagues to join me on the floor to let the American 
people know what we, as their elected leaders, are doing to address 
climate change.
  We know, from scientific evidence, that our climate is changing. The 
global average temperature has increased by about 1.4 degrees 
Fahrenheit over the last 100 years. Sea levels are rising, the ocean is 
becoming more acidic, precipitation patterns are changing, and heat 
waves are becoming more frequent and longer in duration.
  Each of these changes produces a cascade of effects that impact our 
lives and livelihoods, including flooding, changes in crop yields, 
power shortages, declines in fisheries, and increases in cardiovascular 
disease.
  Recent events in our own country, such as devastating hurricanes in 
the Southeast and wildfires in the West have brought this issue to the 
forefront of everyone's minds. Now climate

[[Page H8375]]

change can't be directly blamed for all these problems, but the 
evidence strongly suggests that it contributes to each of them, and 
there are things that we can do to limit its effects.
  Climate change also has a significant impact on public health. A 
groundbreaking study published just this week in a medical journal, The 
Lancet, unequivocally showed that climate change is a serious public 
health threat. The study involved 24 institutions from around the world 
and included staggering statistics, such as the fact that air pollution 
caused 1.9 million premature deaths in Asia in 2015, and that the range 
of common disease-transmitting mosquitoes increased 9.5 percent since 
1950.
  We know that high temperatures exasperate health problems and that 
burning fossil fuels creates pollution that causes cardiovascular 
disease. The National Academies estimate that air pollution causes 
around $120 billion per year in health-related damages, including 
healthcare costs, missed days of work and school, and premature death.
  We also know that changing climate has altered the range, in some 
cases accelerated the spread of vector-borne diseases likes Zika and 
the West Nile virus. Responsibly transitioning to a clean energy 
economy will not only reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that 
contribute to climate change, but it will also reduce air pollution and 
help all Americans breathe easier.
  What I want to talk about for a few minutes, before I turn to some of 
my colleagues, is a very common misperception about the relationship 
between implementing climate solutions and growing jobs.
  Some people think that this is a zero-sum game. That is, they think 
if you have more of one, you get less of the other. But that is simply 
not true.
  Implementing climate solutions can grow jobs, especially new high-
paying jobs. The U.S. needs to take advantage of these economic 
opportunities. Regardless of what we do here in the U.S., the rest of 
the world has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and 
reaching the targets laid out in the Paris Agreement, as have many 
cities, States, and companies here at home.
  To achieve that goal, significant technological development and 
innovation will be needed, as well as infrastructure, markets, and 
distribution channels to get that technology to the people and places 
that need it.
  The national economies that produce this clean energy technology will 
benefit greatly. The U.S. still leads the world in technology and 
innovation. Countries around the world try to recreate the innovation 
ethos that exists in Silicon Valley and in other places across our 
Nation.
  The United States also has the workers who are needed to build these 
innovations. So we have what it takes, and if we seize the opportunity 
to invest in clean and climate-resilient technologies, then our economy 
and the American people will benefit as the world adapts to climate 
change and America grows good-paying jobs all across our Nation.
  But if we let this opportunity pass us by, then profits and jobs will 
instead flow to foreign countries that develop the technologies the 
world needs, and American cities and States will be forced to buy 
foreign products as they upgrade to climate-resilient infrastructure.

                              {time}  2000

  That is why I will soon be introducing a bill called Challenges and 
Prizes for Climate Act. This bill will establish five or more prize 
challenges overseen by the Department of Energy to harness the 
ingenuity of the research community in the private sector to solve big, 
complex climate problems.
  Challenges have been used in the past by a wide range of 
organizations, including the XPRIZE, who used the challenge to jump-
start the commercial space transportation industry. This industry is 
now flourishing.
  I was just recently at SpaceX in California and saw their impressive 
manufacturing facility they have there. The U.S. is now relying on 
SpaceX in order to bring supplies up to the International Space Station 
and their plans to soon be flying astronauts. This commercial space 
transportation industry began with those who reached to try to meet 
this challenge and get the XPRIZE.
  The Federal Trade Commission also used the prize challenge to help 
bring a robocall blocking service to the market, something that we can 
all very much appreciate. That is why I am going this direction.
  My bill will create challenges that fall under five themes: carbon 
capture and reuse, energy efficiency, energy storage, climate 
adaptation and resiliency, and data analytics for better climate 
predictions.
  Using authority from the America COMPETES Act, the Department of 
Energy will convene working groups from across agencies, universities, 
nonprofits and the private sector to help plan the challenges, and even 
to contribute to the prizes.
  The goal of the challenge is not just to reward the winner of the 
best solution, but also to bring visibility to the range of innovations 
competing for the prize and to help society envision the future. This 
bill will help us see what our clean energy future will look like, and 
I urge all of my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to begin hearing from the bipartisan group of 
climate leaders who have joined me here on the floor this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Fitzpatrick), my Republican colleague.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Lipinski, for 
his leadership on this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, serving as good stewards of our environment is something 
that each and every one of us are called to do no matter who we are or 
where we come from.
  It is critical in order to preserve public health. The reality is 
climate change is real and humans are a contributing factor. Congress 
must take serious and reasonable steps to combat it.
  As an Eagle Scout and a conservationist who grew up in Bucks County, 
Pennsylvania, I have always been captivated by the natural beauty of 
our open spaces and wild places. We have it all in Bucks County: 
preserved farmland, amazing parks, expansive forests, and historic 
rivers. I believe that with these natural treasures comes a special 
responsibility to care for and protect our natural resources at the 
local, State, and Federal level.
  Climate change and the irresponsible management of our resources put 
a strain on the health of our communities and our children. Clean air 
and clean water are essential to the health, safety, and well-being of 
the next generation of Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, protecting our Nation's open spaces unites us as 
Americans. That is why I joined 16 other House Republicans on House 
Resolution 195 to encourage American innovation to improve 
environmental policy and to protect, conserve, and be good stewards of 
our environment.
  I introduced the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act, H.R. 1889, 
with Congressman Jared Huffman from California. This bill designates 
the 1.5 million-acre land of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a 
component of the National Wilderness Preservation System to protect it 
from damaging activities like oil and gas drilling.
  I have voted to protect the methane rule for stream protections.
  The Climate Solutions Caucus will continue to be the group that shows 
Washington how to forego the political gamesmanship and get to work on 
ways we can improve our environment, address the realities of climate 
change, and increase innovation with an eye towards sustainability.
  Protecting our environment cannot be partisan, Mr. Speaker. We have 
to come together to get this done as Americans.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Fitzpatrick for his leadership 
and jumping in, in his firm term here in the House leadership, on 
coming to solutions on climate change.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney), 
my colleague who I have been working with for a number of years here in 
the House, a very dedicated Member, especially when it comes to issues 
of science and climate change.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Lipinski for his leadership on 
this.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to talk a little bit about climate. We know that 
climate is changing, and we have seen it.

[[Page H8376]]

In California, we had horrific wildfires that claimed 40 lives and 
destroyed thousands of structures. We have seen hurricanes more 
frequently, more devastating, and more powerful than ever before. So 
the effects are there. We see it happening.
  Now, the thing that we are faced with is that there is a significant 
section of people that deny climate change. You can sort of see why 
they are denying it. I mean, if something is in your interest, you are 
going to be able to talk yourself into just about anything.
  The big benefit of denying climate change is that we can continue to 
use fossil fuels. If you are a company that uses fossil fuels or 
produces fossil fuels, yeah, this is what you want. But there are costs 
of denial, and the costs of denial are clear.
  We are seeing weather. We just talked about that. We are seeing 
health effects. We have seen that both in terms of elevated 
temperatures, causing people to have heat problems. We are seeing 
disease vectors moving to the temperate zones from the Equator. We are 
also going to see significant infrastructure costs, like we see in 
Puerto Rico now. These are real costs that we are going to pay for the 
denial of climate change.

  Now, what are the benefits of climate change?
  Well, there are significant benefits, from my point of view.
  First of all, we have been spending American taxpayer dollars to 
develop technology to fight climate change, or to reduce carbon 
emissions.
  I will tell you a little story about my own career. I was working at 
a company called U.S. Wind Power. With some amount of taxpayer dollars, 
we developed the leading technology for wind energy. Of course, what 
happened was that the funding stopped, tax credits ended, and that 
technology that we developed with taxpayer dollars went to Europe. They 
built thousands of windmills in Germany, and they made a lot of money 
based on that technology that we developed and paid for right in the 
United States of America.
  We also know that renewable energy production creates more jobs than 
fossil fuel production for the same amount of energy. We are talking 
about a potential to create millions of jobs in this country. Not only 
that, but renewable energy has a stable price market feature. Unlike 
fossil fuels, which have highs and lows over a 10-year cycle, fossil 
fuels are going to be nice and stable, will be predictable. And 
businesses love predictability. So I think this is also another very 
good argument.
  Lastly, if we reduce fossil fuels and go to clean energy, we are 
going to have cleaner air and cleaner water, a healthier environment, 
and we can reach sustainability. I think the benefits are pretty clear.
  So where are we now?
  Well, there are still significant resources out there determined to 
muddy the waters and confuse people about climate change. I have three 
publications here I want to illustrate. One is called ``Clexit for a 
Brighter Future.'' Now, the point of this is that we need to exit the 
Paris and United States climate treaties because fossil fuels are what 
we need to power the future.
  Another one is called ``The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Climatism.'' This 
one, if you look it up, is biased, and it seems to be paid for by oil 
interests.
  The last one I want to show is a respected magazine that is called 
National Geographic. And the cover page shows ``The War on Science.''
  So I think we have a pretty good case to make for moving forward with 
action on climate change.
  There will be significant costs if we don't. Renewable energy is more 
than cost competitive these days. As I mentioned, I worked in the wind 
energy business. We see wind and solar being more cost competitive--
more than cost competitive, really--with coal and oil for energy 
production.
  So we have the technology, we have the means, and we have the desire 
to do this, yet we are still hung up here in Washington in terms of 
following through with government support that is needed with the right 
sort of policies that will encourage us to reduce fossil fuel 
reduction.
  Now, one of the great bright spots we see--as Mr. Lipinski, my friend 
from Illinois, pointed out--is that there is a bipartisan Climate 
Solutions Caucus that has been formed over the last two terms. In order 
to join, you have to have a Member of the other party. If I am a 
Democrat, I have a Member of the Republican Party join.
  What we are doing in that caucus is creating legislation that will 
help reduce carbon emissions in an economic and prosperous way. I think 
good things have a potential to happen. I encourage the caucus to 
continue, and I hope it continues to grow.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McNerney for all the work that 
he does on this issue and many other issues here in the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I am going to go back to the other side of the aisle. I 
yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Faso).
  Mr. FASO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Lipinski, my friend from 
Illinois, for holding this Special Order this evening, to highlight the 
important work being done by the Climate Solutions Caucus, to develop 
economically viable solutions to address climate change.
  Mr. Speaker, changing weather patterns and extreme weather events 
threaten nearly every aspect of New York State's economy, including our 
agricultural and outdoor recreational sectors. The recreational economy 
alone generates $42 billion in consumer spending each year, while 
supporting over 300,000 Empire State jobs. As we work to address 
climate change in a bipartisan manner, we must employ a variety of 
techniques that both mitigate impacts and support economic growth.
  I am currently working with my Agriculture Committee colleagues on 
conservation legislation for the next farm bill that will provide 
important data points on conservation programs and outcomes, allowing 
legislators and regulators to most efficiently use taxpayer dollars to 
achieve real conservation results for our farms. These incentive 
programs support farming practices that, among other benefits, like 
increasing yield, lowering the amount of fertilizers that are employed, 
pull carbon from the air and sequester it in the soil.
  In addition to sequestering carbon in the soil. We can also work to 
reduce emissions through greater efficiency in the transportation 
sector. Indeed, the transportation sector is one area where 
CO2 emissions have risen in the last 20 years, unlike, for 
instance, the electric generation sector.
  One easy fix would be to modernize the air traffic control system to 
fly planes on more direct satellite guided routes because direct routes 
save fuel. When Canada switched to a modern air traffic control system, 
the national fleet was able to reduce emissions in that nation by 
millions of tons per year.
  These commonsense changes are great steps forward in combating 
climate change, but our work is far from over. We must address the real 
impacts of man-made climate change and emphasize the need to develop 
and create jobs with a goal of protecting our environment. It is 
critical that we work together to develop smart solutions that will 
conserve our natural resources and protect our communities and 
infrastructure for future generations.

  Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be a member of the Climate 
Solutions Caucus, and I look forward to working with my colleagues. I, 
particularly, want to applaud our distinguished friend from Illinois, 
Mr. Lipinski, for organizing this Special Order tonight on a bipartisan 
basis so that we can address this issue and allow the folks at home and 
all around the United States to better understand the work that is 
being done here in Congress on a bipartisan basis to address climate 
change.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Faso for his work, 
understanding that we are only going to make progress on this through 
bipartisan action. I am very happy to join working with him on the 
Climate Solutions Caucus to bring that action forward.
  Mr. Speaker, my next speaker is a woman who I work with on the 
Science, Space, and Technology Committee, who has done some fantastic 
work on that committee, especially when it comes to the issue of 
climate change and dealing with climate change.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).

                              {time}  2015

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Lipinski for yielding and also 
for

[[Page H8377]]

organizing this Special Order for the Climate Solutions Caucus. I also 
want to thank the founders of the Climate Solutions Caucus, Congressman 
Ted Deutch from Florida and Congressman Carlos Curbelo also from 
Florida, where they can see at their doorstep what issues like sea 
level rise mean to their communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to join with my colleagues from the 
bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus this evening to highlight the 
importance of taking action on climate change, something that matters 
so much to my constituents at home in Oregon, but also to the country 
and to the planet.
  This is an important issue that really is a moral imperative. This is 
about preserving our natural resources for our children, our 
grandchildren, and for generations to come. Addressing climate change 
is also vital to our Nation's economy, as we have had some discussion 
about that this evening, and also to national security, but, really, 
the health of the planet.
  Now, the district I am honored to represent out in Oregon is 
breathtakingly beautiful, and it is really full of potential. The 
majestic Columbia River is the northern boundary of the district, and 
the rugged Pacific Ocean is on the western boundary. It has a thriving 
outdoor recreation economy. As my colleague from New York mentioned, 
that is an important sector that cares a lot about the changing 
climate.
  I also have in my district the heart of Oregon wine country. People 
in my district fish. They fish in our rivers, our lakes, and our ocean. 
They hike in our forests. They ski in our back country and on our 
mountains. We rely on those natural resources in our backyard to 
support a significant part of our economy, but we are very vulnerable 
to the effects of climate change.
  My constituents are already experiencing challenges: Our wine and 
agricultural industries are concerned about drought as global 
temperatures continue to rise. Coastal communities are worried about 
the vitality of the commercial fishing and shellfish industries as high 
levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere change ocean chemistry.
  I was really thrilled that we had an Oregonian from Oregon State 
University come to the Climate Solutions Caucus and talk about adapting 
to ocean acidification.
  Our region has faced higher spring and summer temperatures and 
earlier snowmelt, and, as a result, a snowboard shop in my district is 
now selling more skateboards and fewer snowboards.
  Climate change is not a partisan issue. Nationwide, fishers, farmers, 
small-business owners, and our servicemen and -women are changing the 
way they do their jobs because of climate change, regardless of 
political affiliation.
  The economic, health, and environmental consequences of climate 
change are well known, and our understanding about how to address 
climate change continues to improve.
  People in the United States and around the world are facing threats 
from rising sea levels, from ocean acidification, from more frequent 
and severe weather events from record droughts and flooding and rising 
global temperatures. We can no longer sit back and debate whether we 
should take action. The time is now. It is critical that we support 
scientific research about the climate and that we build on, rather than 
break down, decades' worth of progress on this issue.
  Now, one important area of research is the connection between extreme 
weather events and climate change. Although it is not possible to say 
that climate change causes one particular extreme weather event, it is 
critical that we know more about climate change and how it increases 
the frequency and the severity of these events. Learning more about 
this correlation can help families, communities, and businesses make 
informed choices and adopt climate strategies.
  Now, this year has seen poignant example after example with so many 
devastating extreme weather events. We need to do everything we can to 
make sure our communities are prepared to keep families safe.
  We have had wildfires in the Western United States for a long time, 
but since the mid-1980s, they have been increasing in frequency and in 
duration, threatening lives, threatening public health and property. It 
has been unusually hot and very dry in the Northwest.
  Fires and severe smoke create dangerous conditions for all 
populations. In Portland, Oregon, on Labor Day, the sky was gray, full 
of smoke from wildfire. This is especially problematic for pregnant 
women, for seniors, for children, for anyone with chronic health 
conditions like asthma. Residents and communities miles away from the 
wildfires saw ash falling on their homes, their cars, and throughout 
their neighborhoods.
  This year's hurricanes have devastated communities, of course, across 
Texas, across the Southeast, and in the U.S. islands. About 70 percent 
of our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico are still without power.
  These storms are increasing in frequency and severity, and lives are 
being lost every year.
  Mr. Speaker, it is so important that we take action, and that is why 
I am so pleased to be here today to help highlight the importance of 
this issue.
  As Representative Lipinski noted and others have, Mr. McNerney and 
others, we can take action to address climate change and grow the 
economy. It is not an excuse to say this will be bad for the economy, 
because we can grow those renewable energy industries. There is so much 
potential in wind power, wave energy, solar energy. Those are good, 
high-paying, family-wage jobs. We can grow those economies and address 
climate change at the same time.
  Mr. Speaker, addressing climate change is going to save lives; it is 
going to save property. I am so pleased to be part of this bipartisan 
group that is working together in equal number of Democrats and 
Republicans to call attention to this important issue, and I will 
continue to work with the caucus to emphasize the importance of 
congressional action.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the bipartisan Climate 
Solutions Caucus for their dedication to this effort. I know it is 
quite a relief to my constituents back home in Oregon to know that 
there are bipartisan Members who are committed to addressing this 
critical issue.

  Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their dedication to 
this effort. I look forward to the progress that we will make together 
on behalf of our constituents, our communities, our country, and our 
planet.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Bonamici for speaking tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman who really deserves a 
tremendous amount of credit for all of us being here tonight. He is the 
co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus, the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Deutch).
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Lipinski, for 
yielding and for his thoughtful and passionate leadership in combating 
climate change, and thanks to the strong bipartisan cross section of 
Members who have come to the floor tonight to talk about the importance 
of tackling climate change.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on my colleagues, all of them, to 
join the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. I started this caucus 
with my fellow Floridian, Congressman Carlos Curbelo, to start a new 
dialogue around climate and Congress because we are already facing 
difficult challenges. We can't ignore it. We can't bury it in political 
fights. We need to have an open discussion not only for our future, but 
for the impact of climate change that we are facing today.
  It is no coincidence that this project started with two Members from 
south Florida. A 2015 study projected that some south Florida cities 
could be underwater within this century. The study's author said some 
cities appear already to be lost.
  Climate change is already here for Floridians. The effects have hit 
Florida first.
  Scientists have warned of warming average global temperatures and the 
changing climate for decades. Dr. Andrew Clarke of the British 
Antarctic Survey has spent 40 years at the bottom of the planet 
watching it disappear. Dr. Clarke said: ``You can see the entire 
environment changing in front of your eyes.''
  We now have climate change right before our eyes in south Florida. We 
see the rate of sea level rise outpace the global rate tenfold. We see 
the high-water mark jump 1 inch every

[[Page H8378]]

year. Just this week, we see the tides flooding our neighborhoods.
  The limestone that serves as the foundation of our State is porous. 
Saltwater pushes up through the limestone from below the surface.
  Lower bridge heights will block boats from reaching open waters. With 
165 miles of canals, Fort Lauderdale faces significant threats of 
rising seas. Who in south Florida hasn't driven around their 
neighborhood and noticed more puddles, more water accumulating on the 
sidewalks and streets?
  While many Americans might be able to ignore climate change, ignore 
the science, based on their own personal experience and your own 
personal experience at home, we can't. Looking out our windows, we see 
what is already there.
  By the year 2100, almost 300 U.S. cities would lose at least half of 
their homes, and 36 American cities could be completely destroyed. One 
in eight Florida homes could be underwater. Those Florida homes 
represent half of the total expected loss in housing value caused by 
climate change over the next 84 years. These aren't risks of a distant 
future. These are the burdens we are placing on our children and on our 
grandchildren.
  In response, and through the work of the South Florida Climate 
Compact, Miami Beach has initiated a sea level rise plan to lift roads, 
build up seawalls, and install pumps to clear water in the streets. 
Fort Lauderdale is fixing roads and drains and sending vacuum trucks 
into the streets to prevent saltwater damage, upgrading building codes 
and flood elevation requirements, and requiring higher seawalls.
  In Florida, you can't put climate change out of sight or out of mind, 
but it is not just hitting Florida and it is not just the sea level 
rise or increasing temperatures.
  The National Climate Assessment has documented regional climate 
impacts hitting every area of the United States:
  In the Northeast and Midwest, dramatic increases in heavy 
precipitation events overwhelm drains and levies, causing flooding and 
accelerating erosion;
  In the Great Plains and Southwest, drought and wildfires strain 
demands for scarce water resources;
  In Alaska, receding sea ice and melting glaciers are damaging 
infrastructure;
  On the coasts, increases in carbon dioxide and warming seas lead to 
coral bleaching and ocean acidification that is taking its toll on 
fisheries and the ecosystems.
  The diverse and interconnected impacts that we already see throughout 
our country explain why we already have 60 Members who belong to this 
new dialogue, the Climate Solutions Caucus, 30 Democrats and 30 
Republicans committed to changing the conversation and pushing 
solutions that will create more resilient communities.
  We are committed to understanding the impacts of climate change, the 
impact on our national security; to investing in clean, innovative 
energy protection; to protecting our public health; and to overcoming 
the political obstacles that hold up public policy solutions.
  It is time for Congress to come together and admit the challenges 
that our constituents are already facing at home. It is time to build 
consensus.
  Through the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, we have brought 
together Members from regions in every part of the country who are 
experiencing their own climate change challenges. I invite every Member 
of the House of Representatives to join us. Lift up the voices of your 
constituents, your farmers, your city officials, your developers, 
doctors, scientists, and, most importantly, the families whom you 
represent.
  If you are watching at home, call your Member of Congress and urge 
them to join the Climate Solutions Caucus and help us start the 
difficult work of building truly bipartisan consensus that will help us 
tackle climate change together and help us create resilient American 
communities of the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, Mr. Lipinski, again for 
organizing tonight's discussion.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Deutch for his leadership of 
the Climate Solutions Caucus.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Budd). The gentleman from Illinois has 
25 minutes remaining.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield to my colleague, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi).
  Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleague, Mr. Lipinski, for 
pulling this effort together this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, climate change is real, and I applaud my colleagues on 
the Climate Solutions Caucus for working together in a bipartisan 
effort to try and find common ground and to seek to work together to 
pass legislation to address this very real threat.
  I believe the greatest opportunity we have here is to include efforts 
to move our Nation toward a greener economy as part of a comprehensive 
infrastructure bill.
  We must address climate change for three reasons: first, the Earth is 
part of the divine creation, and we have an obligation to preserve and 
protect our precious gift; second, moving toward a green economy that 
retrofits homes and buildings and installs solar and wind farms will 
create good jobs at good wages that simply cannot be exported; and, 
third, the main topic I wish to address this evening, is moving toward 
a green economy, reducing our dependency on foreign oil, and addressing 
climate change is essential to our national security.

                              {time}  2030

  Americans rarely talk about it and sometimes forget, but we supported 
Osama bin Laden against the Russians in Afghanistan. We supported 
Saddam Hussein in Iraq after we lost the Shah after the Iranian 
Revolution. We supported the Assads in Syria. And we still maintain a 
close relationship with the Saudis, despite their support for 
Wahhabism. Why? Because our national economic strategy and security has 
relied for decades on access to foreign oil.
  Our meddling in local affairs to ensure the oil spigot flowed freely 
has sowed distrust across generations throughout the Middle East.
  By moving towards a green economy and eliminating our dependence on 
foreign oil, we can clearly say to the Middle East: We never wanted 
your land, we never wanted your money, and now we don't need your oil. 
All we want is for people of the region to stop trying to kill each 
other. It will take some time, but moving towards an economy 
independent of foreign oil is the best way to get there.
  In addition to eliminating our dependence on foreign oil, we must try 
to stall the rapid rise in extreme weather events, droughts, and 
desertification that is destabilizing huge swaths of the Middle East 
and Africa. The number of refugees in the world has grown from 35 
million only 10 years ago to 65 million today. War and violence are 
exacerbated by the instability caused by climate change.
  One of the most violent regions in the world today is Syria. The 
instability in Syria began with droughts that destroyed the livelihoods 
of the Syrian people that rely upon an economy which is 85 percent 
agrarian. When people lost their farms, they fled to the cities looking 
for work, but, of course, they could not find it. Then they looked to 
the Assad government, but, of course, were ignored. Fomented by the 
Arab Spring, they began to revolt. The result? The Syrian Government 
has killed almost a half million of its own people and millions more 
refugees. This story is being repeated throughout the region.
  Although the people suffering are thousands of miles away from the 
United States, our national security is threatened by these failing 
states. The rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq is a prime example of the 
impact of failed states on Western security. Mass migrations by those 
seeking to alleviate suffering, millions seeking political and economic 
reforms place pressure on corrupt and incompetent governments that are 
unable to respond to the needs of a population seeking opportunity and 
hope.
  Our enemies who wish to foment instability--Russia, Iran, North 
Korea, and violent terrorist factions--are aided by the effects of 
climate change and the instability it causes. We must do everything we 
can to stall the growth of this nefarious trend.

[[Page H8379]]

  The good news is that there is a growing bipartisan consensus in the 
Climate Solutions Caucus and the armed services community that we must 
act. The Armed Services Committee in the 2008 National Defense 
Authorization Act acknowledged that ``climate change is a direct threat 
to the national security of the United States,'' and that ``the 
Department of Defense must ensure that it is prepared to conduct 
operations both today and in the future, and that it is prepared to 
address the effects of changing climate on threat assessments, 
resources, and readiness.''
  Secretary of Defense Mattis has said, ``Climate change can be a 
driver of instability, and the Department of Defense must pay attention 
to the potential adverse impacts generated by this phenomenon.''
  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford has said 
that climate change and rising sea levels pose serious long-term 
threats to the country. The number of natural disasters will increase 
in the coming years, along with ``the requirement for humanitarian 
assistance'' and the response required for the military for civilian 
disasters.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank again my colleagues for the work that 
they have done to try and bring the issue of climate change to the 
American people, and to try and find solutions to this very real 
problem that is not only affecting us here at home, but our national 
security throughout the world.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for all of his work 
on this and other issues.
  Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Carbajal), my colleague.
  Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Lipinski for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, we are out of time to debate the reality of climate 
change. Its effects are already here. Recently, each year has brought 
with it record-breaking droughts, hurricanes, and natural disasters.
  My home State of California just experienced our deadliest wildfire 
season yet. This year alone, natural disasters will cost more than $22 
billion in recovery efforts. That is why I am proud to work with my 
colleague and cofounder of the Climate Solutions Caucus, Mr. Curbelo, 
to introduce the bipartisan Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act, 
H.R. 3533, which will help coastal States better plan for extreme 
weather events and implement climate change adaptation strategies.
  We can save lives, homes, and billions of tax dollars by encouraging 
these vulnerable communities to prepare their infrastructure for the 
impacts of climate change.
  After severe weather events like Hurricanes Maria and Harvey, it is 
imperative that we invest in readying our infrastructure for the next 
extreme weather event. Moreover, we also need to invest in developing 
renewable energy sources.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to join me and Mr. 
Curbelo in this effort.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Carbajal for his work. That 
was a great lead-in to our next speaker. We just had, a couple of 
speakers ago, the Democratic co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus. 
Our next speaker is the Republican co-chair. I give him a lot of credit 
and I thank him for the work that he has done in putting this caucus 
together.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Curbelo).
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my colleague 
from Illinois for leading this special discussion tonight. I am 
grateful to have the opportunity to come here for a few minutes. And 
more than anything, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, 
Republicans and Democrats, who have stepped up and said: Enough of the 
demagoguery, enough of the fact-less conversation. Let's focus on what 
is happening in the world, on how human beings are contributing to it, 
and let's try to make the situation better.
  I oftentimes say that, on this climate issue, neither the deniers nor 
the alarmists have much to offer. It is the men and women who are 
willing to sit at the table and have a sober conversation that can 
really help solve this problem. There are a lot of people who are 
counting on us to solve this problem.
  Sea level rise is a reality. It is happening all over the world. Mr. 
Speaker, you might understand why this might be important to me. I 
represent a community where most people live near sea level and near 
the sea. This is a real concern, especially in the Florida Keys, one of 
the most attractive and dynamic parts of the country, an area that is 
recovering. We hope our fellow Americans will help us continue 
recovering after Hurricane Irma.
  The Florida Keys and most of south Florida are significantly exposed 
to this sea level rise challenge, and we know that human activity is at 
least, in part, responsible for this dynamic. The Climate Solutions 
Caucus is not about blaming people. It is not about pointing the 
finger. It is about coming up with solutions.
  I think there are really three phases to our caucus and our work. The 
first phase was to bring Republicans and Democrats together, sit at the 
table, have a discussion about our different perspectives on this 
issue, invite in some key witnesses to help inform us. We have done 
that. We have done a good job. Caucus members have a very good 
relationship, a good rapport.
  The next phase has been to block anti-climate legislation. We have 
done that successfully here with some appropriations amendment where 
the caucus has come together and said: No. We are not going to prohibit 
the Defense Department from assessing the risks associated with climate 
change.
  Again, this is critical in my district. I happen to represent Naval 
Air Station Key West, where the men and women of the Navy work hard to 
train and prepare to defend our country overseas. That is a facility 
that is exposed to this threat.
  We came together and we defeated an amendment that would have 
prohibited the Defense Department from assessing these risks.
  I am really excited for the next phase of the caucus, which I hope we 
can reach during this Congress, which is to find legislation that we 
can all get behind and say that these are reasonable solutions that not 
only help the environment and help guarantee that we are going to hand 
off to our children and grandchildren the same beautiful Earth that we 
inherited, but also that we are going to provide opportunities for 
American innovation and growth, and new good jobs, high-paying jobs, 
for young men and women from all over this country. That is going to be 
very exciting, and we are all working together to get to that day where 
we can promote an agenda in this Congress that will bring Republicans 
and Democrats together behind a pro-environment, pro-growth policy that 
will save this planet and keep our country on the cutting edge of 
innovation, leading the world.
  This is a not an issue that we should shy away from. We should rise 
to this occasion. This is the country that has led the entire world 
through a host of different challenges over the last couple centuries. 
We can also do it on this climate issue, but I think we can only do it 
if we do it together.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues, but especially my 
Democratic colleagues tonight who have led this Special Order, 
organized this Special Order. I think we all would like to invite our 
colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join the caucus, especially 
on my side. We are up to 30 Republicans, 30 Democrats. That is very 
exciting. When I arrived here a couple years ago, I probably had only 
two or three Republican colleagues who were even willing to discuss 
this issue, and now there are 30 on the record. Let's keep the caucus 
growing, let's keep it strong, let's work together, and let's change 
the world for the better.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Curbelo for his leadership and 
for pointing out some of the victories that we already have had here on 
this House floor, the Climate Solutions Caucus. That is just the 
beginning. There will be plenty more to come as we grow this caucus and 
do the work that we are here to do.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), 
a freshman Member who is already making a big splash here getting a lot 
done in Washington, working especially on a bipartisan basis on a lot 
of these issues, getting some good things done.

  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Lipinski's kind words, but 
I

[[Page H8380]]

think he and I know best that we had good teachers to help us 
understand what it takes to get things done here in the United States 
Congress, and, most importantly, that is the ability to work together.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here today with all of my 
colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, who are on the Climate Solutions 
Caucus. As you have heard tonight, and as we know, the Climate 
Solutions Caucus is a bipartisan caucus that gives Democrats and 
Republicans the opportunity to sit down and to discuss ways not only to 
protect our environment, but to protect our homes, our Nation's 
economy, and our Nation's security.
  Yes, this caucus consists of people from separate political parties, 
but all of us are united in our belief that we must have this dialogue 
to defend our future.
  Being from the central coast of California, where we have over 120 
miles of stunning coastline in my district, we understand the 
vulnerability that comes with rising sea levels, something that can 
impact our economy, our security, and, of course, our daily lives.
  The co-chairs of the Climate Solutions Caucus, Florida 
Representatives Carlos Curbelo and Ted Deutch, they understand and they 
appreciate that threat, for earlier this year Florida was pummeled by 
Hurricane Irma and the subsequent severe flooding, a storm that 
affected the lives of millions of Americans and cost billions in 
recovery and cleanup efforts.
  We have seen that at times of crisis like that, despite the damage 
and despite our differences, our government and even this Congress can 
come together and put back together those communities. That is our 
government during an emergency, and at times where there are storms, 
where there is damage, we are motivated to come together and govern.
  This year, my district saw this type of governing due to damage it 
suffered during the major winter storms earlier in 2017.

                              {time}  2045

  Every county in my district saw devastation. One county in 
particular, Monterey County, suffered an extreme amount of damage--the 
town of Big Sur, along the coast of California, in particular. The 
northern route of Highway 1, going into Big Sur, suffered a knockout of 
a major bridge. The southern route had a major landslide, leaving that 
community isolated.
  But I can tell you, 2 weeks ago, I stood on the brand-new bridge that 
was built. And as I was standing there, to me, it was a story of the 
people of Big Sur, very resilient, always coming back from these types 
of situations. But it was also the story of government working, people 
and government coming together, getting things done to help people.
  Now, just prior to that, I had read a New York Times editorial, where 
the title of that editorial was, ``We Used to Build Things.'' And it 
was by David Brooks, and he talked about this big fire called the Big 
Burn, back in the early 1900s, that started in Washington and Oregon 
and spread throughout the upper West, all the way into Montana. And 
from that devastating fire arose something, and that was the U.S. 
Forest Service.
  When I read that article, it reminded me that, throughout the history 
of this Nation, we have always built things to help people. We have 
engineered infrastructure to energize our economy, and we have expanded 
agencies to embolden and to empower our communities and the people who 
live there.
  So now, after the storms on the West Coast, after the flooding in the 
Midwest, and after the hurricanes on the East Coast, it is our turn. It 
is time for this generation, our generation, to build things in a smart 
and resilient fashion, so that future generations are secure and safe 
in their homes and in their communities. And we need to start by 
focusing on and building infrastructure that is strong and stable to 
sustain the inevitable intense storms of the future.
  Now, we know, and what has been confirmed by the nonpartisan Federal 
Government Accountability Office, that extreme weather events are 
already costing U.S. taxpayers billions and billions of dollars each 
year. According to that GAO report, the Federal Government spent more 
than $350 billion over the last decade on losses to private property 
and disaster assistance programs from natural disasters.
  Now, that amount doesn't even include the massive price tag on the 
recovery effort from this year's hurricanes and fires that are expected 
to be amongst the costliest in our Nation's history. And we know that 
it is going to get worse as storms are more intense, and recovery 
efforts are going to cost more. So we need to recognize and we need to 
realize the need for smart rebuilding.
  Now, after the 2012 hurricane up in New York, Hurricane Sandy, there 
was a Rebuilding Task Force that was put together, and it recommended 
that Federal flood protection measures should entail that projects 
receiving Federal dollars, they should comply with elevation and flood-
proofing measures to avoid rebuilding them after future storms. The 
report wanted to ensure that we do not need to pay multiple times to 
repair for flooding damages in flood-impacted areas.
  In 2015, the administration put forward the Federal Flood Risk 
Management Standard. That was a standard that set out that federally 
financed infrastructure projects must be built to withstand future 
storms and flooding. That standard was meant to ensure that taxpayer 
dollars are spent wisely and communities are protected.
  However, in August, this administration decided to roll back the 
Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, a decision that was compounded 
by its poor timing, as it was announced 2 weeks before the hurricanes 
that ripped apart Houston, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
  So last month, Congressman Curbelo and I introduced the Federal 
Infrastructure Flood Resiliency Act, a bipartisan bill that ensures 
that Federal agencies complete implementation of a Federal Flood Risk 
Management Standard; such a standard that will not just benefit our 
coastal communities, it will help our government, and it will help our 
country, because we know that every dollar that is invested in flood 
mitigation efforts results in $4 in saved flood recovery costs. This is 
something that Republicans and Democrats understand.
  After Hurricane Harvey, the Governor of Texas, Mr. Abbott, stated: 
``As we go through the build-out phase, and rebuilding Texas, part of 
our focus must be on rebuilding in a way that will prevent a disaster 
like this from happening again.''
  Mr. Speaker, by investing in more resilient project designs, our 
communities will be able to recover quickly, and they will be protected 
against any future flooding. Taking these prudent steps will save 
taxpayer dollars and prevent future loss of life and property. It is a 
commonsense step that we can take toward responsible, bipartisanship 
governing; and it is this type of governing that needs to happen all 
the time.
  Now, when I stood on that bridge, and I was there celebrating the 
reopening of that bridge, the reopening to Big Sur, I also thought that 
this was government at its best, where the government came together, it 
responded, it reacted in record fashion, and it reconstructed a major 
bridge.
  So yes, it made me proud, but it also made me realize that we need to 
stop just governing by crisis. We need to start governing with 
leadership. We need to come together to get things done, not just in 
emergency situations, not just for natural disasters of today, but we 
need to start governing for tomorrow.
  The Climate Solutions Caucus understands and believes that we, in 
Congress, need to lead. We need to do that by coming together. We do 
that by talking about the effects of climate change. We do that with 
Flood Risk Management Standard legislation, and we don't necessarily do 
it for us. We do it for our children.
  That is leadership, and that is why I am proud to be on the Climate 
Solutions Caucus.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I just want to thank all my 
colleagues for their leadership on this issue. The time to take action 
on climate is now. We can't leave this problem to future generations to 
solve for us. As we heard this evening, there is no shortage of good 
ideas for how to do so.

[[Page H8381]]

  I want to close by reading the mission statement of the Climate 
Solutions Caucus, which reminds us of the many reasons why our 
bipartisan group has come together to take action:
  ``The members of the Climate Solutions Caucus acknowledge the fact 
that, if left unaddressed, the consequences of a changing climate have 
the potential to adversely affect the health of all Americans and the 
strength of our economy, consequently imposing substantial costs on 
both State and Federal budgets.
  ``By seeking to reduce climate risk, we will, in turn, ensure the 
protection of our economy, infrastructure, and public safety, all while 
attaining energy independence from the world's most volatile regions. 
Therefore, it is our goal to take a market-based approach to 
substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 
order to leave a better planet and stronger economy for future 
generations.''
  Mr. Speaker, this is something that all Americans can endorse and 
support. It is a better world and a better country.
  So I thank, again, all my colleagues for joining me here tonight, and 
for their work, all of the 60 members--30 Democrats, 30 Republicans--
for their work on the Climate Solutions Caucus.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________