[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1061-S1062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Smith, Ms. 
        Warren, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 3774. A bill to address the disparate impact of climate change on 
women and support the efforts of women globally to address climate 
change, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Women and 
Climate Change Act of 2022. This bill affirms the U.S. commitment to 
supporting a group of people who are most often negatively impacted by 
climate change, yet too often left out of decisionmaking and policy 
development--women. The bill creates a Federal interagency working 
group, established by the Department of State, that will collect data 
and develop policies and strategies to address the effects of climate 
change on women both at home and abroad. Communities all across the 
United States and the world are currently feeling the impacts of 
climate change. The time to empower women to respond to this crisis is 
now. As we commemorate International Women's Day today, we are reminded 
of the important roles that women play in communities across the world 
and seize this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to working 
towards equity.
  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCC, 
highlights that the majority of the world's poor is made up of women 
who rely on natural resources in their daily lives and are least likely 
to be able to respond to extreme weather events. These women 
disproportionately face the brunt of climate change impacts, yet too 
often have little power or say over how they, their families, and their 
communities are able to combat climate change. UNFCC notes that when 
women are allowed a role in developing strategies that address climate 
change, it often results in great responsiveness to local needs, 
enabling resilience and capacity building, and delivering peace across 
communities.
  The rising costs of climate change to communities at home and abroad, 
both in terms of fatalities and expenses, are sobering. According to 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, last year 
the United States alone experienced 20 weather and climate disasters 
that cost at least $1 billion each, netting a $145 billion price tag 
and resulting in 688 deaths. Data from NOAA indicates a trend of 
increasing billion-dollar disasters each decade since the 1980s, with 
the expectation that the trend will continue.
  According to Christian Aid, a relief agency in the United Kingdom 
working to address poverty, the 10 worst global climate disasters in 
2021 cost $170 billion. These included Hurricane Ida, which impacted 
the east coast of the United States and resulted in at least 95 deaths, 
flooding in Europe that caused 240 fatalities, and July floods in China 
that killed over 300 individuals.
  The latest report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
Change, IPCC, last month highlights the consequences that the world 
will face if countries do not take immediate and significant action to 
address climate change. These consequences include extreme heat, 
floods, wildfire, drought, and famine that could result in malnutrition 
and displacement of people across the globe. The report also noted that 
between 2010 and 2020, extreme weather events fueled by climate change 
killed 15 times the number of people in poor countries as in wealthier 
nations. The report underscores how women will continue to face 
mounting challenges as the world experiences more severe and costly 
climate-fueled disasters. Women play a critical role in combating 
climate change--both within their communities and on a global scale. By 
including them at all levels, from planning to implementation, and 
providing them with the platform and support to carry out these 
strategies, we have the opportunity to create fair, effective, and 
sustainable solutions to respond to the climate crisis.
  This bill is a companion to H.R. 260, which was introduced by my 
colleague Representative Barbara Lee early last year. I thank her for 
her leadership on this bill and look forward to continuing our work to 
see that women all across the world are empowered to help confront this 
global crisis.
  Groups in support of this bill include Sierra Club, Planned 
Parenthood, the Women's Environment and Development Organization, 
Madre, Outdoor Afro, California Environmental Voters, Oxfam America, 
League of Conservation Voters, and Schools for Climate Action.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. PADILLA:

[[Page S1062]]

  S. 3788. A bill to address the homelessness and housing crises, to 
move toward the goal of providing for a home for all Americans, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Housing 
Act for All Act of 2022, which I introduced today.
  The homelessness and housing crises have worsened in recent years. As 
of January 2020, more than 580,000 individuals in the country, 
disproportionately people of color, were experiencing homelessness. 
Rates of unsheltered homelessness have increased over the last few 
years, and people experiencing unsheltered homelessness have a 
mortality rate four to nine times higher than that of the general 
public. A lack of affordable housing and housing assistance programs 
have contributed to homelessness. There is a shortage of 6.8 million 
affordable rental homes in the United States. Even before the pandemic, 
one in four renters spent half of their monthly income on rent, and 
nearly a million tenants were evicted each year. I believe every person 
has a right to housing.
  That is why I am proud to introduce this bill, which represents a 
comprehensive approach to tackling housing and homelessness. If 
enacted, it would invest in and align Federal resources to support 
those experiencing housing instability. To address the homelessness and 
housing crises, we must invest in policies that support strong, 
sustainable, inclusive communities and ensure quality affordable homes 
for all.
  Specifically, this bill will address the affordable housing shortage 
by investing in the housing trust fund, the Section 202 Supportive 
Housing for the Elderly Program, Section 811 Supportive Housing for 
Persons with Disabilities Program, and the HOME Program. It establishes 
a Commission to focus on racial equity in housing and homelessness.
  It will address homelessness by investing in housing choice vouchers 
project-based rental assistance, emergency solutions grants, and 
continuums of care. It will create grant programs to strengthen mobile 
crisis intervention teams; to support hotel and motel conversions to 
permanent supportive housing with services; to aid libraries in 
supporting persons experiencing homelessness; and to provide people 
living in vehicles with a safe place to park overnight and facilitate a 
transition to stable housing. And it commissions a report on the 
connection between evictions and emergency rental assistance during the 
pandemic, so we can make smarter policy moving forward.
  When I have traveled around the State--from LA County to Inland 
Empire, to Fresno, to San Diego, to San Francisco--to get a sense of 
the needs for housing in different communities, some key elements stood 
out. On the production side, there is a need for more dedicated funding 
for affordable housing from the Federal Government. There is also 
missing middle housing for families, especially people of color. And 
there is not enough housing near transit. That is why my bill focuses 
on supporting inclusive, transit-oriented development. When I talked to 
researchers about keeping families housed, one main point they made is 
that we don't have enough data on renters and evictions, and that is 
why I wanted to include a section of the bill on data--so we can make 
evidence-based policies. Right now, the cost to build low-income 
housing in California is very high because of land and material costs 
as well as the fragmented way that funding gets doled out in 
California. That is why I included a section to provide technical 
assistance for localities navigating Federal and State housing funding 
sources.
  The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for affordable, safe, 
and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. Because of 
the pandemic, many lost their housing, while others struggled to make 
rent for the first time. Some didn't know where to turn as shelters 
faced capacity limits and food banks saw overwhelming demand. These 
hardships were especially prevalent for those who had already been 
marginalized--including communities of color, low-income communities, 
and those with disabilities.
  As we begin to recover from the pandemic, it is our job to rebuild a 
more inclusive and equitable world for all. A just recovery includes 
expanding affordable housing options to provide people with a sense of 
stability. It also means respecting the dignity and supporting the 
health of all community members. Affordable housing is essential 
infrastructure. Every person deserves dignity, security, and space of 
their own.
  I want to thank Representatives Lieu and Carbajal for introducing 
this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of 
this solution to our housing and homelessness crises.

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