Frank Pallone: “I just have to say, I listened to my colleague from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield), who I respect a great deal. I think he is…”

“I just have to say, I listened to my colleague from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield), who I respect a great deal. I think he is suggesting that somehow the Republicans on our committee or maybe the leadership in the House do want to address climate change. Every time that I have tried in the committee to bring up the issue of climate change, nothing has happened. We haven't had a hearing. We haven't had a bill. We haven't had any initiative since I have been on the committee, let alone served as the ranking member, in the last year--any initiative--that would address the issue of climate change. So when my colleague from Kentucky says, ``Well, we are not denying that this exists. We just don't think it is a priority,'' well, it is not only not a priority. It is not something we have addressed at all in any way anytime the Democrats or myself have tried to raise this issue. To suggest that it shouldn't be a priority--and maybe that is not what he is saying, but it sounded that way--well, I come from a district where we had Hurricane Sandy that devastated our district.…”