[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14362]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             CLIMATE CHANGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, it has been 32 years since we have 
experienced a single month with a temperature below the 20th century 
average. We are now all but certain that 2016 will be the single 
hottest year on record, replacing 2015 and 2014, which both held that 
title before it.
  As we stand here today, representatives from 195 nations, including 
our own, are meeting in Morocco to discuss how the world will move 
forward to implement the historic Paris Agreement forged last December.
  Yet, in that same 1-year span, the President-elect used his campaign 
for our country's highest office to promote policy ideas that would not 
only pollute the planet, but expose millions of Americans and billions 
worldwide to loss of life, livelihood, and property.
  If these dangerous ideas are put into action, they will imperil the 
unique and fragile ecosystems that make the United States a wonder of 
the world, and saddle our economy with potentially trillions of dollars 
in increased health care, disaster recovery, and adaptation costs, all 
while preventing American businesses and consumers from realizing the 
economic opportunities of a low-carbon economy.
  We have heard from the next Commander in Chief that climate change is 
a hoax concocted by the Chinese, which is beyond absurdity. Climate 
change is real, it is happening, and it is manmade. The science is 
settled with 97 percent of climate scientists in strong, steadfast 
agreement.
  Just take a look at the last month here in the United States. In 
October, more than 5,600 all-time high temperature records were set. 
Only 350 all-time cold records happened in the same time span. In a 
stable climate, these numbers would be about even. We do not have a 
stable climate.
  Our next President has also claimed that climate change action is 
costing our country money when, in fact, the opposite is true. 
Independent analysis has demonstrated that President Obama's Clean 
Power Plan could save the United States more than $20 billion a year in 
decreased costs related to climate impacts, and will put more than $80 
a year back into the pockets of everyday Americans in decreased energy 
costs by 2030; not to mention the economic activity that would be 
spurred by the creation of thousands of new clean energy jobs.
  The Federal Government has also found that damage to human health, 
agricultural losses, decreased bio diversity, and the physical impacts 
of sea level rise, drought, wildfires, and other climate impacts will 
cost more than $150 billion a year in the United States alone.
  We have heard talk about bringing back coal and creating new coal 
jobs, like it is flipping a switch. The fact is, though, that the 
economic decline in the coal industry and in the coal communities is 
driven by market forces, not government policy.
  While coal is still our dirtiest form of fuel, it is no longer our 
cheapest. Natural gas has now overtaken coal and, in some cases, even 
renewables like wind and solar have become cost-competitive. Coal is in 
decline because, increasingly, consumers no longer want it.
  And thanks to technological advances in the industry, it takes fewer 
people to mine more coal. Coal jobs in West Virginia have been 
declining since the fifties, long before any existing climate policy.
  At the same time, as extractive industries continue to slash jobs and 
profits, the solar industry alone has more than doubled its domestic 
workforce in the last 5 years and now employs more people than coal. 
Jobs in renewable energy exist. They are increasingly available, they 
pay well, and they cannot be outsourced.
  Finally, there has been talk about canceling the historic Paris 
Agreement and reneging on our international pledges to join the world 
in acting on climate change. Doing so would abdicate our position as a 
global leader, and it would allow our international rivals like China 
to set the terms of the new global economy to benefit them, at the 
expense of our people and our businesses.
  The fact is, our climate is changing and will only continue to do so. 
We cannot afford inaction. We cannot afford to undo the progress we 
have already made.
  I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up for 
coastal communities, farmers, vulnerable people all over the world, and 
future generations to not fall victim to the self-serving propaganda 
from those who seek to profit by polluting the world.
  To defend the work we have done, we must meet the challenge of the 
global call to act on climate. Regardless of who sits in the Oval 
Office, we must continue to fight for commonsense action in Congress 
that will address the pressing environmental threats of today in order 
to create a more sustainable future for tomorrow.
  No partisan rhetoric or repudiations of fact can stand in the way of 
our important work to fight and win this battle.

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