Mike Quigley: “My friends across the aisle can turn a blind eye to the wildfires, smoke-covered skies, life-threatening heat waves and…”

“My friends across the aisle can turn a blind eye to the wildfires, smoke-covered skies, life-threatening heat waves and extreme weather we now face nearly every day somewhere in this Nation. We have seen the impacts of climate change in real time, and yet this amendment would hamstring our ability to meaningfully address the accelerating threat of climate change. Ignoring climate change in our approach to the transportation sector would be particularly egregious and irresponsible. It is, quite frankly, not an option. Our transportation infrastructure is responsible for more greenhouse emissions than any other sector of our economy. This means that our approach to transportation investment can and must be one of the biggest parts of the solution. Climate change also makes our roads, bridges, railways, and public transit more vulnerable to damage from extreme weather. We have to recognize our climate reality in order to make our infrastructure more resilient and less costly. Instead of rebuilding the same old infrastructure after disrepair, we should be investing in climate- conscious, cost-effective solutions that ensure we build back stronger in order to equip our infrastructure to withstand the test of time and future disasters. This is a matter of practicality, risk mitigation, and human safety. It also presents a tremendous opportunity to boost our economy by investing in new technologies and creating new jobs.…”