[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 29, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5509-H5510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               PASS TRANSFORMATIONAL CLIMATE LEGISLATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. Strickland) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. STRICKLAND. Madam Speaker, Americans nationwide have felt the 
impact of this year's extreme weather, from flooding to wildfires to 
record heat. In Washington State, heat domes in June and August of this 
year have caused hundreds to die of heat exposure, roads and highways 
to buckle, and shellfish to broil in their streams.
  The iconic Mount Rainier, one of the snowiest places on Earth, was 
not immune to this. The unprecedented heat, nearly 40 degrees above the 
previous recorded high, has had a devastating impact on the mountain. 
This image shows Mount Rainier during most of the summer, its sides 
bare, compared to its typical snow cover.

[[Page H5510]]

  For longtime residents of Washington State, it is jarring to see 
Mount Rainier without snow on its peak. In just 4 days this summer, 4 
days in late June, the peak of the heat dome, the mountain lost 30 
percent of its total snow cover. This is a visual demonstration that 
climate change is real.
  The lack of snow became more notable as the summer progressed, and 
this heat is an ecological issue and an economic issue. Washington 
State's shellfish industry is among the largest in the Nation, 
contributing $270 million to the State economy and supporting nearly 
3,000 jobs.

  The heat dome this summer devastated shellfish farms that make up the 
core of this industry. Shellfish growers reported shellfish baking to 
death, literally, in shallow water and on the beach. Taylor Shellfish, 
located in my district, reported losing over 2 million clam seeds.
  As our planet warms and climate change takes hold, these extreme 
weather events are becoming more common, costing lives and critically 
damaging our environment and our economy.
  Against this backdrop, our need to pass transformational climate 
change legislation becomes even more stark and more urgent. We must 
invest in electric vehicle infrastructure. We must dramatically expand 
public transit. We must build an energy grid using renewable sources of 
power.
  We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create tens of 
thousands of jobs and build a sustainable society for future 
generations. My district, my State, and our planet depend on it.

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