[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5248-5249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             CLIMATE CHANGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Rush) for 5 minutes.

[[Page 5249]]


  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, Ranking Member Waxman and I have sent 24 
letters to Chairman Upton of the Energy and Commerce Committee and 
Chairman Whitfield of the Energy and Power Committee since May 2011 
requesting hearings on the science of climate change.
  Mr. Speaker, since Mr. Waxman and I are not able to get the majority 
on the Energy and Commerce Committee to act, I take it upon myself to 
come to the House floor to speak directly to the American people on why 
this issue is so important to them. Power to the people.
  Mr. Speaker, last year, 2012, marked the hottest year ever recorded 
in U.S. history. Fully two-thirds of our Nation experienced drought. 
Half of the Nation's grazing pastures and up to 30 percent of the 
Nation's corn crop was in poor condition, or in very poor condition, 
which impacted the price that the American people pay for their food, 
for ethanol, and for consumer goods for all of the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, just because some of my colleagues might not like what 
the science is telling us, it does not mean that they can continue to 
put their collective heads in the sand and simply ignore these facts or 
wish these facts away.
  Last year's record temperatures, serious droughts, pervasive 
wildfires, and widespread flooding prove that there is climate change 
occurring all around us on a regular basis continually.
  And Mr. Speaker, the majority ignores climate change, not at some of 
our peril, not at a portion of our peril, not at a minority of our 
peril, but all of our perils are being impacted because of the 
majority's refusal to simply have the scientists come before the 
committee of jurisdiction and tell this Congress, in no uncertain 
terms, what is really happening to the world's climate.

                              {time}  1040

  Mr. Speaker, these very same scientists, these experts, these people 
who have spent and dedicated their lives to understanding climate and 
climate control and what is happening, these climatologists are 
waiting, they're willing, and they're eager to come before this 
Congress to share their information and their expertise with the 
Members of this Congress. The scientists are sounding the alarm and 
informing us that we are reaching a critical tipping point as it 
relates to this very important issue of climate control.
  Mr. Speaker, my prayers are for the people of Boston, my prayers are 
for the people in Boston, and my prayers are for the American people. 
All power to the people.

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