[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11008-11009]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          SAFE CLIMATE CAUCUS

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, even though many in Congress still refuse to 
admit that climate change is a very real problem, the administration 
has been leading action on what has become one of the most important 
issues of our generation.
  This week the White House announced a new initiative to increase

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access to solar energy, especially in low- and moderate-income 
communities. This is a critical step to reducing our carbon footprint 
and showing the world that we are, indeed, ready to lead by example 
when it comes to clean energy innovation.
  The initiative expands training and education for jobs in the solar 
industry and is a partnership with the private sector to increase 
diversity in a new ``green collar'' workforce. Access to clean, 
reliable energy results in good-paying jobs, cleaner air, and an 
opportunity for our innovators and entrepreneurs to grow our economy.
  As a member of the Safe Climate Caucus and a co-chair of the 
Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, I applaud and support the 
administration's announcement this week and will continue to press for 
broader climate action in this Congress.

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