[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3811-S3812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Climate Change

  Mr. President, now on climate, when I come to the floor to speak on 
matters of legislation, it is almost always about legislation here in 
Congress. But in our Federal system of government, the States, too, 
have enormous power to shape the current events in our country.

[[Page S3812]]

  Today, I want to talk about a bill in my home State of New York that 
I believe will do just that. A few weeks ago, I endorsed the Climate 
Leadership and Community Protection Act, a bill that would put New York 
on a course for a net zero economy, meaning negligible to no carbon 
pollution by the year 2050. It is an ambitious target, but we need 
ambition because we live in unprecedented times.
  We are witnessing human-caused climate change in the storms, floods, 
droughts, wildfires, and other extreme weather that has throttled our 
country in recent years. It has caused loss of life and destruction of 
livelihoods all over the country and all across the world. We must 
prioritize the urgency of climate change, and we must recognize the 
need to take bold steps to confront it aggressively.
  It is unfortunate that here in Congress, because of our Republican 
colleagues, we don't do a thing, not one single thing on climate 
change. The bills the House has sent over and the bills that Democratic 
Senators have proposed end up in Leader McConnell's legislative 
graveyard. Nothing happens, and climate gets worse.
  Thank God the States are doing something, and that is why I supported 
the climate bill in New York State. That is why I am so proud today 
that my State's legislative leaders have reached an agreement that will 
clear the way for its passage, with a vote in the Senate as soon as 
this evening.
  I look forward to watching my State pass the most robust climate 
policy package passed by any State in the country. I am proud of that 
fact. I hope that it serves as an example for other States to follow, 
another catalyst for the national debate about how we can tackle 
climate change, and a reminder that we, in Congress, must do our part.